Texas resident indicted for issuing threatening statements towards Zohran Mamdani
In a troubling turn of events, a Texas man named Jeremy Fistel has been charged with harassing and threatening the New York City Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani. Fistel pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include four counts of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, four counts of making a terroristic threat, and seven counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree as a hate crime.
The charges stem from a series of threatening emails and voicemail messages that Fistel directed to Mamdani's office website in June and July. These messages contained violent threats and references to Mamdani's religious identity.
This incident comes amidst a backdrop of rising death threats against Mamdani, who is poised to become the city's first Muslim mayor. Since winning the primary, Mamdani has been assigned a police detail, a practice that is routine for the primary winner.
In June, Mamdani spoke openly about the threats he was facing, citing numerous threatening emails and phone messages at his legislative offices. The threats came shortly after the fatal shooting of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, which Mamdani mentioned as a concern. At that time, Mamdani told your website that he often receives messages saying, "The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim."
A flier for a pro-Cuomo PAC surfaced showing a manipulated photo of Mamdani with his beard lengthened and darkened, which Mamdani called "blatant Islamophobia." Fistel's attorney, Todd Greenberg, argued that Fistel had no intention of carrying out any threats, and that his remarks, while not "proper," did not amount to a crime.
Fistel was arrested on September 11 in Texas by the NYPD's hate crimes task force and extradited to Queens on Wednesday. After posting a $30,000 bail and $125,000 bond, Fistel was freed and ordered to return to court on November 19 by Queens Supreme Court Justice Michelle A. Johnson.
Judge Johnson noted that Fistel has a "significant" criminal record, including for the distribution of marijuana, for which he has served time.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the Mamdani campaign, expressed gratitude to Katz's office for treating the matter seriously and stated that threats of this nature are all too common and reflect a broader climate of hate. Queens DA Melinda Katz stated that threats of violence against any office holder are taken extremely seriously, and there is no room for hate or bigotry in political discourse.
Polls show Mamdani leading by double digits over Mayor Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa, with less than two months until the election. The news comes one week after the assassination of a prominent conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in a shooting on Utah Valley University's campus.
The assemblymember from Queens, Mamdani, has faced persistent Islamophobia on the campaign trail. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by candidates who break the mould and represent diverse communities.
