Baytown man looking at 5 years in prison for allegedly making threats to White House, officials say

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Friday, June 21, 2024
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BAYTOWN, Texas (KTRK) -- A Baytown man has pleaded guilty to sending multiple threatening communications several times to many government agencies, including the White House, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani.

The video above is from ABC13's live-streaming channel.

Joshua Guadalupe Magana admitted, officials said, to sending bomb threats on several occasions to the White House, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other organizations for several years.

Magana was previously warned by law enforcement that if he kept making threats, he would be sent to prison.

The suspect pleaded guilty to a charge related to his threat on June 4, 2019. According to prosecutors, Magana said he called the FBI and stated: "There is a bomb. I'm going to blow up the White House, "before hanging up.

He told officials he chose the White House because it was the most important building he could think of, and he wanted a "big, serious response."

On Dec. 15, 2021, Magana emailed the White House with a subject line that read "Contact the President" and a message stating "Bomb the White House." He contacted the White House again and sent a similar email.

"We take all threats seriously," Hamdani said. "People cannot convey their political or social disagreements through threats or violence."

Magana is in custody and will remain there until his sentencing hearing on Oct. 2, 2024. Officials said that he faces up to five years in prison.