An Ohio man was accused in federal court Wednesday with making a series of threats to an Arizona state election officer.
According to the US Department of Justice, a grand jury in Phoenix indicted Joshua Russell, 44, of Bucyrus.
He faces three counts of making a threatening interstate message and three counts of making a threatening interstate telephone call.
Russell is accused of making threatening voicemails for Arizona Secretary of State officials on the day of the state’s August primary, again in September, and again a week after the November general election.
Russell referred to the official as a “traitor” and a “terrorist,” according to court filings. Each voicemail also contained a death threat.
The election official was not identified by prosecutors.
Russell was arrested and appeared in court for the first time on Monday. If convicted on all counts, he could face more than 20 years in prison.
Russell was not represented by an attorney, according to court records.
The probe is being led by the FBI’s Phoenix field office.
This is one of several incidents being investigated by a DOJ task team dedicated entirely to election risks.
The Department of Justice prosecuted five persons in August with making threats of violence against poll workers, amid a rising tide of harassment and intimidation related to the 2020 presidential election.
The department has investigated over 1,000 abusive and threatening texts directed at election workers at the time. Approximately 100 of individuals were charged with a crime.