Man charged for threatening to rape, torture Sen. Kamala Harris and Presidential candidate Joe Biden

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A federal criminal complaint was filed Oct. 21, 2020, charging James Dale Reed, 42, of Frederick, Maryland, with making threats against Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden and Vice Presidential running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California..

Reed is currently in state custody and a federal warrant has been lodged as a detainer to ensure his appearance in U.S. District Court at a future date, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on October 4, 2020, a letter threatening the candidates was left on the doorstep of a resident in Frederick in the early hours of the morning.

A door camera captured the likeness of the person delivering the letter. The resident did not know the subject but had several signs in the yard supporting the candidates threatened in the letter.  The letter, which is included in full in the attached Complaint, contains the following passage:

“This is a warning to anyone reading this letter if you are a Biden/Harris supporter you will be targeted.  We have a list of homes and addresses by your election signs.  We are the ones with those scary guns, We are the ones your children have nightmares about…When We capture Grandpa Biden We will all severely beat him to the point of death as for Mrs. Harris she will be bent over and Anally raped by my rifle barrel. Then for the Grand end the [sic] both will be executed on National Television.”

“We take these types of threats extremely seriously.  Such threats to commit violence are illegal and have no place in our democracy, and we will hold accountable those who make them.  We are grateful for the assistance of the City of Frederick Police Department and to citizens who provided tips that ultimately led to Mr. Reed’s arrest and these federal charges,”United States Attorney Robert K. Hur is quoted saying in the press release.

Investigators worked to identify the subject in the door camera video and after receiving a citizen tip, focused on Reed.  An individual familiar with Reed viewed the door camera likeness and confirmed that person was Reed.

On October 13, 2020, Reed was interviewed at his residence and denied leaving a threatening letter or being the individual in the door camera video that was shown to him.  Two days later, Reed admitted writing and delivering the letter and was arrested.

If convicted, Reed faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.