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By Vic Verbalaitis || Arizona Republic
An Ohio man was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Phoenix for allegedly sending threats to an unidentified election official with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, according to the United States Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice said that Joshua Russell, 44, allegedly left multiple threatening voicemail messages to an Arizona state election official between Aug. 2 and Nov. 15.
According to the Department of Justice, Russell said in one voicemail, “You are a terrorist. You are a derelict criminal. And you have a few short months to see yourself behind bars, or we will see you to the grave.”
The Department of Justice said that Russell was charged with three counts of making a threatening interstate communication and three counts of making a threatening interstate telephone call. Russell was arrested and appeared in court on Dec. 12.
If convicted, Russell would face five years in prison for each count of making a threatening interstate communication, and two years in prison for each count of making a threatening interstate telephone call, the Department of Justice said.
