A 22-year-old man from Palo Alto has been taken into custody for making violent threats against two political figures, a U.S. Congresswoman and a Florida State Representative. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that the accused, Aaditya Chand, was arrested following a federal criminal complaint that became public today.
The complaint details an instance on February 15 where Chand is alleged to have used Instagram to send threatening messages to the members of Congress. One message, aimed at Victim 1, read, "I'm gonna shoot up ur office tomorrow u Palestinian scum," another warned, "Get ready." The staff of the U.S. House Representative in Washington, D.C, purportedly received these messages. In a seeming attempt to further escalate the situation, Chand is also accused of specifically threatening a Florida State Representative, referred to as Victim 2, via another Instagram Direct message stating, "I'm gonna bring a gun to ur office tomorrow and shoot u and ur staff." The U.S. Department of Justice announced that federal agents saw the messages during an interview with Chand.
Charged with the serious felony of transmitting a threat to injure a person across state or international lines, Chand could face significant legal consequences, including a maximum of five years in prison. Announced by U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey and Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, the case against Chand underscored the collaborative effort in pursuing threats against public officials.
Details from the federal court indicate that Chand is scheduled for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen later today, where the formal proceedings will commence. Despite the allegations, it is important to remember that a criminal complaint does not equate to a conviction. Chand maintains the presumption of innocent until proven guilty, per due process. If convicted, the judge will only be able to impose a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the relevant federal statutes, notably 18 U.S.C. § 3553, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
