An Ohio man has been hit with federal charges following allegations of sending racially charged threats to the first Black district attorney in New Mexico.
The FBI initiated an investigation after being contacted by 3rd Judicial District Attorney Gerald Byers’ office about a disturbing voicemail he received.
Upon review, authorities determined that Donald Fowler of Lodi, Ohio, left a two-minute voicemail for Byers filled with racist and abusive language on Oct. 26. The U.S. Justice Department included a transcript of the voicemail sent by the man in an affidavit submitted to the Ohio Northern District Court.
“I hope you and your family get what’s coming to you,” the 46-year-old is quoted as saying in one part of the message.
Court documents stated in other parts, Fowler used offensive language, including the N-word, three times on the recording. Additionally, he made references to lynching and mentioned various police-involved shootings, expressing how displeased he was with what he believed was Byers’ reluctance to prosecute officers. He also mentioned by name Theresa Gomez, a woman who lost her life in a police-involved shooting just weeks before the Oct. 3 call.
According to court records, Fowler also claimed that for Byers not to press charges against officers involved in Gomez’s death, the officers must have engaged in sexual acts with the DA.
“You’re not going to hold your officers accountable?” he said, “I guess we are going to have to.”
Byers has been seen as pro-cop, defending officers’ right to use deadly force. In an op-ed for the Las Cruces Sun-News in July 2023, he wrote about how the people have authorized “Police Officers to enforce the law in our collective name.”
“That authorization includes the use of deadly force, a very complex topic,” he added.
Fowler expressed on the voicemail that officers should be held accountable when people are killed.
The district attorney told FBI…
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