Dover man pleads not guilty to threats to kill presidential candidates. Trial date set.
DOVER — A city resident accused of threatening to kill three 2024 presidential candidates via text messages has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges.
Tyler Anderson, 30, waived his scheduled arraignment hearing, entering the not guilty pleas to the charges of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another, according to court records. A two-week trial is tentatively set to begin Feb. 21 in U.S. District Court in Concord, to be presided over by Judge Samantha D. Elliott.
Each charge against Anderson carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Jane Young’s office on Dec. 21.
The Dover man allegedly responded to texts from three presidential candidate campaigns with threats to kill the candidates and attendees of their campaign events. Anderson allegedly wrote to one candidate’s campaign that he would “kill everyone” at an event and then “(expletive) their corpses,” according to an affidavit filed in his case.
He was arrested Dec. 9 by the FBI and later released by U.S. marshals. He was indicted on the three counts by a federal grand jury on Dec. 21.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign reported in early December he was threatened prior to a breakfast campaign event at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth. Young’s office has not confirmed the identities of any of the three presidential candidates Anderson allegedly threatened.
Anderson’s plea of not guilty was signed by his lawyer, federal public defender Dorothy Graham, on Dec. 28. The plea has been approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone.
Anderson has no prior criminal record. He made his initial appearance at a Concord federal court on Dec. 11 and was released from custody three days later under certain parameters, including that he avoid contact with any presidential candidate and their political campaigns.
A federal judge ordered the firearms in Anderson’s residence belonging to his roommate be removed from the premises. The judge added Anderson must continue taking his prescribed medications for his mental health treatment.
A final pretrial conference in Anderson’s case has been scheduled for Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. before Elliott in Concord, court records add.
Graham did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.
The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau. The investigation into Anderson was led by the FBI, with assistance from the Dover and Portsmouth police departments.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover NH man pleads not guilty to threats to kill candidates
