Texas Man Charged With Hate Crime Threats Against NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani

Jeremy Fistel, a Texas man, has been arrested and charged with making a series of anti-Muslim and violent death threats against Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee and Queens Assembly member in New York City. The threats, which began in June during Mamdani's primary campaign and continued through July, included voicemails and emails that urged Mamdani to leave the country or face violence, with references to blowing up Mamdani's car despite Mamdani not owning one. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz emphasized the seriousness of these hate crimes and the zero tolerance for such bigotry in political discourse. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force led the investigation, which also resulted in Mamdani receiving a security detail due to the ongoing threats. Fistel was extradited to Queens and faces multiple charges, including terroristic threats and aggravated harassment as hate crimes, with a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted. This case underscores a troubling trend of political violence and hate crimes in the U.S., coming shortly after other high-profile attacks on political figures.