A Florida man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced Monday.
Neal Brij Sidhwaney, 43, entered a guilty plea Friday to one count of making an interstate threat to injure. The Fernandina Beach resident left an expletive-ridden voicemail message with the Supreme Court in July where he twice made the threat to kill a justice.
The DOJ did not identify which justice Sidhwaney threatened in its statement, but the suspect named his target as Chief Justice John Roberts during a court-ordered psychological evaluation, court filings show.
In the voicemail message, Sidhwaney identified himself by name and urged the U.S. Marshals to pass along a message to Roberts that “I will f‑‑‑ing kill you,” according to the documents.
Sidhwaney was arrested in August and has remained in custody since.
The psychologist who conducted Sidhwaney’s evaluation found he was competent to stand trial but noted the “fixed delusional beliefs” he has held for many years, identifying a diagnosis of delusional disorder with psychosis. He takes an anti-psychotic drug, the doctor said in the filings.
Sidhwaney could face up to five years in prison for the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Recent data shows that threats against public officials are on the rise, and of those threats, ones made against law enforcement and the military — including judges and prosecutors — were the most common.