HOUSTON
A federal judge has returned a guilty verdict against a local man for making threats to injure U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, federal officials announced this week.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, after careful deliberation, found Issac Ambe Nformangum, 24, guilty of one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure following a two-hour stipulated bench trial.
Federal officials didn’t name the senator who was threatened. However, according to the Congressional Record from Dec. 13, 2023, Nformangum threatened to injure and murder Ted Cruz in a voicemail he left with the senator’s Houston office.
Nformangum called the senator’s office from his cell phone and left a lengthy, threatening message. He stated that the senator would be found and killed.
The court heard evidence that Nformangum made a direct threat intended for the senator, in which he disregarded the extent of the seriousness of his words.
“Nformangum called the office of a U.S. senator and made threatening comments.” said Hamdani. “It was a frightening call. This is never acceptable, and the Southern District of Texas will always seek to hold actors like Nformangum to account for their actions, to deter others like him, to protect the rule of law and to ensure a safe environment for all public servants. Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that dedication.”
“You can criticize, refute and disagree with someone’s political view or vote, but you don’t get to threaten an elected official with violence just because you don’t like their political platform,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office. “Those actions are not protected under the Constitution. On the contrary, as Mr. Nformangum found out, they’re a crime.”
Judge Rosenthal has set sentencing for Oct. 2. At that time, Nformangum faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI-Houston conducted the investigation.