US court jails man for threatening Tulsi Gabbard

A US court has sentenced a New York man to 33 months in prison for making a series of threats against Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of the US House of Representatives.

Aniruddha Sherbow, 44, had entered a plea of no contest on Feb 21 in the US District Court to two counts of transmission of threats in interstate commerce, according to an FBI release.

Sherbow Judge Reggie B. Walton accepted the plea and sentenced Sherbow Monday.

Following his prison term, Sherbow will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, Sherbow is barred from any direct or indirect contact with Gabbard.

Walton also ordered Sherbow to pay $538,282 in restitution to the US government, as reimbursement for security expenses incurred as a result of his threats.

He also ordered Sherbow to get a mental health evaluation and treatment, if necessary.

Sherbow was arrested on Aug 28, 2013, in Tijuana, Mexico. He has been in custody ever since. In addition to New York, Sherbow has lived in California, Mexico, and Hawaii.

According to the prosecution, Sherbow had been harassing Gabbard since February 2011, including making threats via e-mail and telephone. The charges relate to two such threats, made in August of 2013.

On Aug 1, 2013, Sherbow left a voice-mail message on Gabbard's phone in which he threatened to kill her. Gabbard was in Washington, DC, when she received the threatening message.

On Aug 3, 2013, Sherbow, identifying himself by name, sent an e-mail to Gabbard and others, including the FBI.

The subject and body of this e-mail also contained threats directed at Congresswoman Gabbard.