Nevada man indicted for threatening Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan
Spencer Gear was charged with multiple counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure and threatening a federal official. He was arraigned earlier this week in Nevada federal court and pleaded not guilty. Gear remains in custody.
Gear was charged with leaving threatening phone calls to federal and state officials in Washington, DC, and New York. The indictment identifies the targets of the threats by initials and a source confirmed that Bragg and New York Judge Juan Merchan were among them.
Prosecutors allege Gear left a telephone message and “threatened to kill A.B. and J.M.,” according to the indictment. A person familiar with the investigation confirmed the initials refer to Bragg and Merchan.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office has said threats to their office increased during Trump’s criminal trial earlier this year.
Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to coverup a payment made to silence a porn star before the 2016 election. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Trump has asked the judge to throw out the conviction based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
Gear's indictment also involves political figures, as it alleges threats to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Judge Juan Merchan. The political climate surrounding cases, such as Trump's, has reportedly led to an increase in threats towards officials.
