INDIANA — A 45-year-old Dallas man faces up to 10 years in federal prison after being indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening to murder federal judges in Indiana and target court officials with airstrikes.
Joseph Dale Lewis was officially indicted on August 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The indictment follows his initial arrest under a criminal complaint filed on July 31. Lewis is charged with threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder federal officials to impede, intimidate, or retaliate against them during the performance of their official duties.
According to court documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the incident began when Lewis allegedly placed a phone call to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis.
- The Phone Threat: Call records showed the incoming telephone number displayed the name “Joseph Lewis”. The caller warned court staff: “Two of your (Federal) judges are going to die today, get the [expletive] out the building.”
- The Email Threat: Later that same day, three federal judges in the district received an email originating from an account linked to Lewis. The email carried the subject line “Trump was murdered” and referenced hitting federal judges and the FBI in Indiana with “airstrikes”.
Investigators with the FBI subsequently interviewed Lewis’ mother, who corroborated the information by verifying his phone number and identifying a personal email account matching the one used to send the violent threats.
Courtroom Outbursts and Arrest Details
Following his arrest, Lewis’ initial court proceedings were repeatedly derailed by his erratic behavior.
- August 3 Appearance: Scheduled for his initial appearance in federal court, the proceeding was halted after Lewis began making repeated verbal outbursts at the judge. Deputy U.S. Marshals had to physically remove him from the courtroom.
- August 5 Hearing: A second attempt to conduct the hearing ended similarly when Lewis launched into further outbursts, making direct threats against the presiding judge and U.S. Marshals Service officers, prompting officers to forcibly remove him a second time.
The U.S. Department of Justice and federal court documents have not publicly named the specific federal judges targeted in the emails and phone calls, citing safety and security protocols in place during active judicial threat investigations.
Law Enforcement Response
Federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials emphasized that threats against the judicial branch will be met with immediate and decisive legal action.
“Threats against federal judges and elected officials strike at the foundation of our republic and will not be tolerated by this office,” said Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. “This office is committed to standing up for our other branches of government, at both the state and federal level, so they can exercise their authorities under our Constitution free from intimidation and violence.”
R. Joseph Rothrock, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Field Office, added, “The FBI thoroughly investigates anyone who threatens the life of a federal judge or elected official. We take these offenses seriously and ask the public to report threatening behavior to law enforcement.”
Legal Penalties
The case is being investigated by the FBI Dallas Field Office with support from the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Sterbcow.
If convicted, Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
