A Florida man faces up to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice, a serious crime that underscores the rising tide of threats against public officials. Neal Brij Sidhwaney, 43, from Fernandina Beach, admitted to leaving a menacing voicemail at the Supreme Court back in July, where he explicitly threatened the life of Chief Justice John Roberts, court documents revealed.
Sidhwaney's threat was laced with profanity and he didn't shy away from identifying himself in the message, boldly urging the U.S. Marshals to deliver his threat to Roberts, stating "I will f‑‑‑ing kill you," The Hill reported; the DOJ kept the justice's identity under wraps initially but the target was later confirmed through court-ordered psychological evaluation filings.
According to WSVN, Sidhwaney was nabbed in August and has been in custody since, following an investigation by the US Supreme Court Police Protective Intelligence Unit together with the Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section. The Floridian's behavior was attributed to "fixed delusional beliefs" by a psychologist, who, despite the diagnosis, deemed Sidhwaney competent to stand trial.
The case comes against a backdrop of increasing threats against officials, particularly in law enforcement and the military, including judges and prosecutors and it's Sidhwaney's own words, preserved in the court record, that "The identified official is Chief Justice John Roberts whom he allegedly contacted by phone call and threatened to kill,”, as per WSVN. A sentencing date for Sidhwaney is yet to be scheduled.
