What did Justin Kuchta do? Maryland man charged for allegedly threatening Senator Ted Cruz

Federal prosecutors have charged Justin Kuchta of Maryland on Tuesday, September 9, 2022, with threatening the life of Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

The complaint was announced in a statement issued by the US attorney's office on Wednesday. While prosecutors did not divulge Ted Cruz's identity in the affidavit, they did say that they had filed criminal charges against Kuchta, 39, a former government employee in Annapolis. He was accused of sending emails laced with obscenities to a member of Congress.

Prosecutors disclosed the contents of the email, which repeated a series of false claims that circulated on social media, alluding to a link between Texas Senator Ted Cruz and the Zodiac Killer—a serial killer in the late 1960s who evaded capture.

“Thank you for the address!!! I’m coming to murder all of you Satanist f*****s!!! Especially the chuckle-f**k Zodiak [sic] Killer [Member of Congress 1]!! That fat fake f****r ass will be the first on the gallows!! SEE ALL OF YOU F*****S REALLY SOON!!! With my fresh militia and weapons!!! Thanks for the info f*****s!!!”

The senator has previously poked fun at the assertion and dismissed the fatuous claim. It should be noted that the senator was born two years after the Zodiac killer’s first murder.

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Justin Kuchta threatened the life of a Congress member in a series of emails

According to prosecutors, Justin Kuchta received an online event invitation from the office of a Texas member of Congress in July. Kuchta responded to the email on July 19, 2022, threatening to kill the lawmaker. A few days later, in a follow-up message, Kuchta doubled down on his threats against Cruz.

“WE ARE COMING FOR CHUCKLEF**K ZODIAK [sic] KILLER [Member of Congress 1]!!! THANKS FOR THE ADDRESS AND INVITE, SEE YOU ALL SOON ENOUGH!!!"

In July, a staff member from the senator's district office in Texas reported the threat to police.

Investigators reportedly tracked the emails to Kuchta's IP address in Annapolis, Maryland. The affidavit stated that Kuchta was interviewed at his workplace, where he admitted to sending the message from home on his government-issued computer. However, he pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, according to reports.

A spokesperson for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Kuchta was previously employed with the Office of the Comptroller, The Washington Post reported. Prosecutors said if convicted, Kuchta could face up to five years in prison for interstate threats.

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. announced the criminal charges against Kuchta.

“You have the right to your own opinions, but not the right to threaten a federal official’s life. We’ll continue prosecuting these threats to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Ted Cruz amps up security following threats

Lately, Ted Cruz has been the target of multiple threats against him. In July 2022, Isaac Nformangum, 22, was arrested after he called Cruz’s office and threatened to kill the senator with a bullet to the face or by smashing his skull against a brick.

Erik Kikkert, a convicted felon and military veteran, was arrested in April 2022 for issuing threats against the Senator in a series of threatening voicemail and text messages. According to reports, last year, Ted Cruz spent more on private security than any other member of Congress. In light of recent developments, Cruz is reported to have received additional security from the U.S. Capitol Police.