A 63-year-old Tulsa man is facing federal charges after authorities say he repeatedly called a U.S. senator and threatened to kill the lawmaker and the senator’s family. Prosecutors identify the defendant as David Glen Shuck, and court documents list multiple federal counts tied to three separate phone calls. The U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI are listed as the agencies handling the investigation.
Charges and what prosecutors allege
According to federal filings, Shuck is charged with three counts of threatening to assault and murder a member of Congress with intent to impede, intimidate, interfere and retaliate; three counts of interstate communication containing a threat to injure; and two counts of threatening to assault and murder an immediate family member, KOKH reported. Court documents state that the calls occurred on separate occasions and that each involved threats directed at the senator and members of the senator’s family. Investigators from the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI are named in the filings as leading the probe.
Federal statutes that apply
Prosecutors have lined up the charges under federal laws that specifically criminalize threats against public officials and the interstate transmission of threats, per Cornell Law's LII and the U.S. Code. Under 18 U.S.C. § 115, it is a crime to threaten a federal official or an immediate family member with intent to impede or retaliate, with penalties that can reach up to 10 years in prison for each threat count. Under 18 U.S.C. § 875, transmitting a threat to injure someone across state lines can carry a sentence of up to five years. Federal prosecutors often use both statutes in tandem when the target is a federal official and the alleged threats are communicated over interstate channels.
Background on the accused
Court records indicate that Shuck has a prior federal conviction out of the Northern District of Oklahoma. He previously pleaded guilty in a drug case and was sentenced in 2012, according to a 10th Circuit opinion. That earlier prosecution, which involved marijuana cultivation and distribution, is part of the public record and is unrelated to the current threat case.
What happens next
If the case proceeds in federal court, the next step is typically an initial appearance before a magistrate judge, where issues such as bail, detention and the appointment or retention of counsel are addressed, according to practice guides from Federal Defenders. The government can then seek an indictment from a grand jury. The charges outlined in the filings carry substantial potential penalties, with exposure of up to 10 years under § 115 and up to five years under § 875, although actual sentences are shaped by plea negotiations and federal sentencing guidelines. Public records do not yet make clear when Shuck is due back in court or whether he is currently detained, and those details are expected to appear in upcoming court calendars or new filings from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
