Dover man charged with threat to presidential candidate Ramaswamy at Portsmouth event

CONCORD — Tyler Anderson, arrested at his Dover residence for allegations he threatened to kill Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at a Portsmouth event, is accused of sending similar text messages to other 2024 presidential candidates’ campaigns, according to court documents.

Anderson, 30, had firearms at his home, the documents state.

Anderson allegedly responded to a text message from the campaign on Dec. 8, stating: “Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” and “I’m going to kill everyone who attends and then f*** their corpses.”

Ramaswamy’s campaign previously announced a two-day swing through New Hampshire beginning Sunday. One of the events was a breakfast event at the Roundabout Diner beginning at 8:30 a.m. Neither the federal complaint nor affidavit filed in Anderson’s case names the Roundabout Diner, but the timing of the event at Roundabout matches up.

On Friday, the campaign staff sent a text to voters inviting them to Monday's event, a buffet style breakfast in Portsmouth. The name of the eatery is redacted from court documents.

According to the affidavit, which does not name Ramaswamy as being the victim of the allegations, campaign staff provided Anderson’s alleged texts to the Portsmouth Police Department.

Anderson’s alleged texts back were sent at 10:06 a.m. on Friday, the affidavit notes.

FBI: Anderson's threat to another candidate found on his phone

Dover police provided Anderson’s address, according to the FBI agent's affidavit.

FBI Special Agent Adam Howe wrote he reviewed Anderson’s Verizon phone records, including the text messages he allegedly sent to the campaign, and added that federal agents obtained a search warrant for Anderson and his residence Saturday.

Investigators located Anderson’s phone on his bed.

The affidavit shows an image of Anderson’s alleged message to another unnamed presidential candidate’s campaign, which first texted him: “Tired of the political BS and phony politicians? Then come and get real answers from a presidential candidate who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.”

The affidavit shows Anderson’s alleged four texts back to that unspecified candidate. He wrote: “Fantastic, now I know where to go so I can blow that bastard’s head off!”

“Thanks, I’ll see you there. Hope you have the stamina for a mass shooting!” Anderson allegedly texted.

Anderson was arrested and Howe transported him to the Dover Police Department, the affidavit states. After waiving his Miranda rights, Anderson “admitted to sending the threatening text messages to the candidate and said that he sent similar threatening text messages to multiple other campaigns,” the affidavit alleges.

He was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. The charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, according to Jane Young, U.S. attorney for New Hampshire.

Young did not disclose the number and types of firearms allegedly found at Anderson’s residence as the investigation continues.

“If anybody in the public has safety concerns, we ask for them to report those to law enforcement. I’m not saying that they’re there, but I’m saying that is the course that people should follow," Young said. “Law enforcement is there to answer those calls.”

A Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson commented on the arrest.

“We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans,” Stefan Mychajliw, the campaign’s deputy communications director, said in a statement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad Hodes and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case.

Tyler Anderson appears in U.S. District court

Anderson entered the Concord courtroom in handcuffs Monday afternoon wearing a Strafford County House of Corrections jumpsuit. He made no formal statements about the accusations but responded to Judge Talesha Saint-Marc indicating he understood the order of proceedings conducted Monday.

Saint-Marc, with approval from Anderson’s attorney, Dorothy Graham, and Assistant U.S. Charles Rombeau, scheduled Anderson’s preliminary hearing and detention hearings for Thursday at 11 a.m. in Concord.

Anderson will remain in custody of the U.S. marshals.

A show cause hearing in his case was also scheduled for Jan. 9 at 9 a.m.

Young says all threats taken seriously

Young said information regarding Anderson’s alleged messages were received by law enforcement Friday, the same day they were allegedly sent. Anderson was charged on Saturday, she said in a press conference following Anderson’s hearing.

“This office and law enforcement takes this threat seriously. We will move as expeditiously as possible. We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Young said. “We will continue to do that to investigate any type of threat here in the state of New Hampshire. And if there is sufficient evidence to warrant a charge, those charges will be levied. There is no exception to that.”

Young compared Anderson's case to Monday’s guilty plea from Kyle Hendrickson, the Berwick, Maine, resident who threatened to shoot up Portsmouth High School in April as evidence the state will prosecute similar threats, regardless of who they’re made against. Hendrickson pleaded guilty to interstate threatening communication and possessing a firearm in a school zone.

“We strive to treat all victims equally,” Young said.

USA TODAY reporter Karissa Waddick contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover man charged with threat to Vivek Ramaswamy at Portsmouth event