texas

Richardson Man Accused of Threatening Social Media Messages

The man allegedly used multiple different social media platforms to threaten victims

Authorities arrested a man from Richardson Thursday for allegedly using social media platforms to send threatening messages, according to The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas.

Following an investigation, authorities arrested 23-year-old Rahul Ramesh Joshi for threatening communications to injure another, which is a federal violation, officials said.

The investigation started in 2018 when a female Snapchat user issued a complaint. She reported threatening messages that she received on various social media apps from different users, though they appeared related.

Investigators found that she wasn’t alone. Multiple users across different states also received threatening messages, officials said.

"These were extreme messages, and no one should have to put up with that kind of nonsense," said United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown. "Your freedom of speech does not extend to the point that you can threaten and intimidate others. We will stop that kind of abusive behavior."

Joshi used to live in Michigan and attended the University of Texas before moving to Richardson, according to the press release.

If convicted, Joshi faces up to five years in federal prison. A photo of Joshi is not readily available as mugshots are not released in federal cases.

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