Tyler Vogel, a 26-year-old man from Lancaster, New York, has pleaded guilty to sending death threats to the state attorney general and the Manhattan judge who presided over former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case. Vogel admitted to one count of making a terroristic threat and one count of making a threat of mass harm in state Supreme Court. He had sent threatening text messages to New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron, demanding that they cease actions in the Trump case under the threat of death and physical harm. Vogel used a paid online background website to obtain private information about James and Engoron to confirm his intentions to follow through with the threats if his demands were not met.
As part of his guilty plea, Vogel will be allowed to participate in interim probation and must comply with the mandates of state mental health court. After completing the court and probation requirements, he will be able to withdraw his plea to the felony charge and be sentenced on the misdemeanor charge. A temporary protection order issued on behalf of the two victims remains in effect, and Vogel is due back in court on April 23. Initially facing two felony counts of making a terroristic threat and two misdemeanor counts of aggravated harassment, Vogel could have faced up to seven years in prison if convicted. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment, and the attorney general’s office declined to comment on the case.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is facing trial in Manhattan this week on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to bury stories about his sex life that could have impacted his 2016 campaign. Trump, a Republican who is seeking a return to the White House in this year’s election, has also appealed Judge Engoron’s finding that he lied about his wealth as he built his real estate empire. The civil trial focused on how Trump’s assets were valued on financial statements that were provided to bankers and insurers for loans and deals. Vogel’s threats against both the attorney general and the judge occurred in the midst of this legal battle for Trump.
The specific details of the threats made by Vogel to the state attorney general and the Manhattan judge have not been fully disclosed. However, the complaint filed against Vogel in Lancaster, a suburb of Buffalo, indicated that his messages contained threats of death and physical harm if they did not comply with his demands related to the Trump case. Using information obtained from a paid online background website, Vogel confirmed his intentions to follow through with the threats if his demands were not met. The temporary protection order issued on behalf of the victims indicates that the seriousness of the threats is being taken seriously by law enforcement officials.
With Vogel’s guilty plea and the temporary protection order in effect, the case against him continues to unfold in the legal system. The involvement of the state attorney general and a judge in a high-profile case like the one involving former President Trump highlights the potential dangers and pressures faced by public officials in their roles. The outcome of Vogel’s case and any potential future developments will be closely monitored by those following the legal proceedings in New York. In the midst of political and legal controversies, the safety and security of those involved must remain a top priority.
