Zohran Mamdani got threatening voicemails, emails from Texas man, Queens DA says

Queens prosecutors have charged a Texas man with making threats against New York assemblyman and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Jeremy Fistel, 44, of Plano, Texas, was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime for allegedly leaving voicemail and sending anti-Muslim written threats to Mamdani’s office, Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz said on Thursday.

"The defendant told the assemblyman to go back to Uganda before someone shoots him in the head, to keep an eye on his house and family, to watch his back every second until he leaves America, and that he and his relatives deserve to die," Katz said in a statement on Thursday.

A grand jury handed down a 22-count indictment charging him with four counts of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, four additional counts of making a terroristic threat, seven counts of aggravated harassment as a hate crime, and seven other counts of aggravated harassment.

Fistel was arrested on Sept. 11 and extradited on a warrant to face charges in Queens Criminal Court. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Thursday, and a judge ordered a temporary order of protection. Fistel posted a $30,000 bond and was released, according to court records.

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Fistel’s attorney, Todd Greenberg, said the messages left for Mamdani were not threats and Fistel was exercising his right to free speech and there should not be felony charges.

"The statements the district attorney read, used words like, ‘I hope and wish this happens,’ and are not terroristic threats under New York law," Greenberg said. "One can say he certainly could have used better words, but it’s free speech and he did not cross that line."

Prosecutors said the threats began in June and were made over about two months.

The messages included the June 11 voicemail at Mamdani’s office, warning him of a possible shooting of him and his family, adding, "Muslims don’t belong here," prosecutors said.

Prosecutors allege he followed up a week later, telling Mamdani he was not welcome in New York.

Prosecutors said Fistel was accused of sending written threats through Mamdani’s assembly website on July 8, wishing for his death.

He was accused of leaving another threatening voicemail on July 23, attacking Mamdani and his family, prosecutors said.

Mamdani’s staff first reported the threats on June 18. NYPD hate crime investigators said Fistel tried to block his number, but the messages were later traced to his cellphone and email.

He is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on the charges on Nov. 19.

"Let me be very clear — we take threats of violence against any office holder extremely seriously — and there is no room for hate or bigotry in our political discourse," Katz said in the statement. 

In a statement, Afaf Nashe, executive director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the group was "grateful to law enforcement for taking these hate-fueled threats seriously. No public servant—or any individual—should be subjected to Islamophobic harassment or violence simply for serving their community or for being who they are.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.