A Wilbraham man is facing a multitude of charges after a federal grand jury indicted him for making violent threats on social media against various public figures, personal acquaintances, and even children in Massachusetts. Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, who also goes by several aliases including "Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo," was indicted on 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment detailed that between July and October 2024, Nyawo is accused of using a social media platform, X, to openly threaten to harm a U.S. elected official, former officials, and their families, along with private citizens and emergency responders from Wilbraham and their families. The charges come with potential sentences of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines that could reach up to $250,000. The 36-year-old was arrested earlier this year on February 5th in Florida and is now waiting to make a court appearance in Springfield.
Moreover, it is alleged that from mid-August until the beginning of October, Nyawo had used the same platform to systematically harass and intimidate a specific elected official, which included their spouse, child, the child's spouse, and their grandchildren. The nature of Nyawo's threats extended to target the community at large, including an elementary school in Springfield, drawing significant concern for public safety from authorities.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen and United States Capital Police Special Agent in Charge J. Thomas Manger, announced the indictment. Contributions to the case were also notably made by local law enforcement agencies, including the Wilbraham Police Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow is currently assigned to prosecute this multifaceted case.
