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Texas man charged with making terroristic threats against Zohran Mamdani
By
Arun Venugopal
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Charles Lane
Published Sep 18, 2025
Modified Sep 18, 2025
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Arun Venugopal
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Charles Lane
Published Sep 18, 2025
Modified Sep 18, 2025
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A Texas man pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he repeatedly threatened and harassed Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Democratic mayoral nominee, in voicemail and written messages, the Queens district attorney announced.
Jeremy Fistel, 44, of Plano, Texas, was arraigned on a 22-count indictment, including four counts of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, four counts of making a terroristic threat, and seven counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree as a hate crime.
He was arrested Sept. 11 in Texas by the NYPD’s hate crimes task force and extradited to Queens on Wednesday, according to the DA's office. He was freed after posting a $30,000 bail and $125,000 bond. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michelle A. Johnson ordered Fistel to return to court on Nov. 19.
“Let me be very clear — we take threats of violence against any office holder extremely seriously — and there is no room for hate or bigotry in our political discourse,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement after Fistel was arraigned.
Fistel faces up to 15 years in prison for the most serious charge, according to the DA.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the Mamdani campaign, expressed gratitude to Katz’s office for “treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves.” She added: “Unfortunately, threats of this nature are all too common — and they reflect a broader climate of hate that has no place in our city.”
The news comes one week after the assassination of prominent conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in a shooting on Utah Valley University's campus. The killing occurred amid growing political violence.
In June, Mamdani spoke openly about rising death threats ahead of the New York City primary and shortly after the fatal shooting of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband.
“I woke up yesterday to a message that said, ‘The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,’” Mandani, considered the front-runner in the November election, told Gothamist at the time. “This is what I see and read quite regularly.”
According to Katz’s office, Fistel directed a series of threatening voicemail messages and email to Mamdani’s office website in June and July. Prosecutors said the messages included violent threats and references to Mamdani’s religious identity.
Fistel’s attorney, Todd Greenberg, did not dispute that Fistel had made the comments, but argued his client had no intention of carrying out any threats and that his remarks, while not “proper,” did not amount to a crime.
Judge Johnson noted that Fistel has a “significant” criminal record, including for the distribution of marijuana, for which he has served time. No further detail was immediately available.
The assemblymember from Queens is poised to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and has faced persistent Islamophobia on the campaign trail. Polls show Mamdani leading by double digits over Mayor Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, with less than two months until the election.
During the June interview, Mamdani revealed he decided to hire private security, an unusual arrangement for a mayoral candidate. His campaign said they had received numerous threatening emails and phone messages at Mamdani’s legislative offices.
During the final stretch of the race, a flier for a pro-Cuomo PAC surfaced showing a manipulated photo of Mamdani with his beard lengthened and darkened. Mamdani called the image “blatant Islamophobia.” A spokesperson for the PAC said the flier was never sent.
Since winning the primary, he has been assigned a police detail. The practice is routine for the primary winner.
This article has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
Politics
public safety
queens
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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