Colorado Man Convicted of Threatening Judges: 'You Will Be Dead'

A 42-year-old man from Golden, Colorado, was found guilty of threatening two judges and a court clerk after a lawsuit he filed was dismissed. A federal judge in New York convicted Akram Marseet on October 2. Marseet had called the court after losing his discrimination case and made violent threats against court workers. He could now face up to 10 years in prison.

The trouble started on January 10, 2024, when a judge dismissed a discrimination case that Marseet had filed against a former employer. Marseet called the court clerk's office to complain about the ruling. He was very angry that his case was dismissed 'with prejudice,' which means he could never bring those same claims to court again. During the call, he called the judges 'criminals' and said he would kill them if he ever saw them. Federal prosecutors filed charges against him the very next day.

The discrimination case Marseet had lost was about his time working at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. He claimed that he was paid less than other student workers because of his race. Marseet, who is originally from Libya, was working there while finishing a master's degree in electrical engineering. He also said the school did not do enough to help him with a mental health disability he had. In 2020, another student made allegations against him, and after a disciplinary hearing, Marseet was expelled from the school.

After Marseet was convicted of making the threats, a U.S. attorney spoke about why the case mattered. Michael DiGiacomo, the U.S. Attorney for Western New York, said that threats against judges will never be tolerated. He also said that judges deserve to do their jobs without fear of violence or intimidation. The sentencing hearing — when the judge will decide Marseet's punishment — is scheduled for February 1, 2027. The maximum punishment he could receive is 10 years in prison.