Individual from Texas Accused of Issuing Intimidation Warnings Towards Mamdani
In a surprising turn of events, a Texas man named Jeremy Fistel, 44, was arrested and extradited to Queens, New York, on charges of making terroristic threats against New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The charges, filed in a Queens criminal court, include making a terroristic threat and aggravated harassment. Fistel, who lived and was professionally based in Texas, allegedly sent messages over seven weeks starting in June, as Mr. Mamdani's campaign was heating up and his public profile rose dramatically. According to reports, Fistel pleaded not guilty in the court. The man, who grew up in Sharon, Mass., attended Orthodox Jewish private schools, and regularly went to synagogue, was previously convicted in 2012 of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He was sentenced to two years of supervised release for the marijuana charges. The marijuana case against Fistel was filed in 2011 and lasted for seven years in the Eastern District Court of New York. One of his co-defendants, Jonathan Braun, had his 10-year sentence for running a marijuana smuggling ring commuted by President Trump in 2021. The threats against Mr. Mamdani came after a string of vitriolic voice mail messages at his district office in Queens, which his campaign had reported in June. One of the voice mails called Mr. Mamdani a 'terrorist' who was 'not welcome in New York or in America.' Mr. Mamdani, the clear front-runner in the New York City mayoral race, expressed resolve to continue his campaign despite the threats to his safety. He gave an interview to a news website on Sept. 11, discussing the new threats against him. Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election but is last in the polls, commented on the situation. He expressed gratitude towards the police personnel who handled the case and called it 'ironic' that Mr. Mamdani, who had once called for defunding the police, needed their help to investigate threats against him. Judge Michelle Johnson set Fistel's bail at $30,000 and issued Mr. Mamdani an order of protection against him. If convicted of the most serious charges, Fistel faces up to 15 years in prison. The arrest and extradition of Fistel have raised concerns about tighter security in the New York City mayoral race and future races. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining a peaceful and respectful political discourse. Emma G. Fitzsimmons contributed reporting, and Susan C. Beachy contributed research.
