On Tuesday, a Florida man who threatened to assassinate a United States Supreme Court judge was sentenced to more than a year in jail.
According to the Justice Department, Neal Brij Sidhwaney of Fernandina Beach has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison “for transmitting an interstate threat to kill” by U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard.
On July 31, 2023, Sidhwaney called a Supreme Court office in Washington, D.C. from Florida, according to court filings. He was detained on August 18 and pleaded guilty on December 15, over four months ago.
Sidhwaney, 43, who “left an expletive-laden, threatening voicemail message,” reportedly identified himself after threatening to assassinate a Supreme Court justice.
“Yes, hello, my name is Neal Sidhwaney. This mail is addressed to [redacted justice’s name]… According to court documents obtained by the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, the message stated that “I will… kill you” and threatened to kill any deputy marshals who responded.
While the Justice Department did not specify which justice, court filings revealed that Sidhwaney’s intended target was Chief Justice John Roberts.
It is unclear what sparked Sidhwaney’s rage—he previously worked as a programmer for Google.
According to a psychology study, Sidhwaney was experiencing paranoia and other mental problems at the time of the interaction with Roberts.
This arrest comes after federal authorities advised against harassing election workers during the 2024 presidential campaign.
It also coincided with an increase in reports of threats and violence directed at public personalities, poll workers, and other election authorities.