Man threatens to kill Ajit Pai's family, charged

A California man was charged Friday with threatening to kill the family of Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, over the repeal of net neutrality rules, the Justice Department said.
 
The man, Markara Man of Norwalk, is accused of sending three emails to Pai that included the death threats as well as a photo of the family. In one email, Man referenced three locations of the town where the Pai family lives.
 
Man, according to the FBI, sent the emails on December 19 and 20 last year. Agents confronted Man at his home in Norwalk in May and he admitted sending the emails because he was “angry” about the repeal of net neutrality regulations and sought to intimidate Pai, the FBI said.

 

The arrests come after a swell of consumer protests over Pai’s decision last November to roll back rules meant to protect the equal treatment of content online, a policy often called net neutrality. FCC officials have said Pai received multiple death threats against him and his family over many months.
 
Man is being charged with threatening to murder a member of the immediate family of a US official with the intent to intimidate or interfere with that official’s ability to perform his duties. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. ©2018 The New York Times News Service