A Baytown man has entered a guilty plea to federal charges after admitting to sending multiple bomb threats to the White House, the FBI, and other organizations, as revealed in a recent announcement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The 37-year-old, Joshua Guadalupe Magana, is facing serious legal repercussions for his actions which spanned over several years.
Magana's admission included a specific incident from June 4, 2019, during which, in a call to the FBI, he declared his intention to blow up the White House and subsequently ended the call abruptly. Making good on previous warnings from law enforcement regarding the criminal nature of his threats, this plea brings with it the possibility of imprisonment for up to five years. The words he reportedly used at the time, "There is a bomb. I’m going to blow up the White House," signify the explicit and alarming nature of the threats that were made by him.
As detailed in the criminal complaint, apart from the 2019 phone call, Magana had also sent an email to the White House on Dec. 15, 2021, with the subject line "Contact the President" containing a message "Bomb the White House." Furthermore, he repeated this behavior with another threatening email sent on Feb. 27, 2022. The seriousness with which these threats are being taken aligns with U.S. Attorney Hamdani’s perspective on such matters. "We take all threats seriously," Hamdani stated, conveying that political or social disagreements cannot be addressed through violent means.
The case, which has now moved towards sentencing, will see U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal decide Magana's fate on Oct. 2. The Secret Service and the FBI, both heavily involved in the investigation, ensure Magana remains in custody as he awaits sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter, having taken the helm in prosecuting the case, will present the government's evidence and argument for sentencing.
Magana's actions, as confirmed by the official announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, reflects a troubling attempt to invoke fear and potentially disrupt the order of national significance. The repercussion of such threats, as reflected in this case, stands as a stern reminder of the federal government's stance against any form of threatening communication aimed at critical infrastructure or persons.
