Virginia Man Charged with Threats to Federal Judges

Stephen H. Rosenberg, 51, of Alexandria, VA., was arrested yesterday and charged with transmitting through interstate commerce threats to kill white judges in South Carolina as well as threats designed to influence or intimate a federal judge hearing a civil case in which Rosenberg is the plaintiff, announced Joseph Persichini Jr., Assistant Director of the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Rosenberg was indicted July 7, 2009 by a grand jury in the Columbia Division of the United States District Court of South Carolina. He is charged with one count of Title 18, Section 875 (c), knowingly transmitting in interstate commerce from Alexandria, Virginia, to Columbia, South Carolina an electronic mail communication to a federal judge containing a threat to kill white judges in South Carolina. He is also charged with one count of Title 18, Section 1503 (a), “corruptly, by threats of force, and by threatening communication endeavor to influence and intimidate” a federal judge in the discharge of his duty. (Criminal No. 3:09CR765)

The indictment alleges Rosenberg appeared in front of a federal United States District Judge in South Carolina on May 11, 2009 in reference to a civil suit filed by Rosenberg against the United States. Since that time, Rosenberg has allegedly sent numerous email transmissions to the same judge, including an April 6, 2009 transmission which contained a threat to kill white judges in South Carolina, and a threatening communication designed to influence or intimidate the judge with regard to the civil suit. Rosenberg is a plaintiff in the case of Stephen H. Rosenberg v. State of South Carolina et al, Civil Action Number 9:06-3203-MJP.

Rosenberg was arrested without incident at his Alexandria residence by members of the Violent Crimes Task Force from the Washington Field Office of the FBI.  He was detained after his initial appearance yesterday and is scheduled to appear today at 2 p.m. before the Honorable Ivan D. Davis, United States Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of Virginia.

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Press Releases | Washington Field Office Home