A Democratic candidate for a Pennsylvania Senate seat is now sitting in federal custody after a grand jury indicted him on five felony counts for leaving a series of violent, threatening voicemails targeting President Donald Trump, members of Congress, and ICE agents. Raymond Eugene Chandler III, 40, of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges, as first reported by The American Tribune.
U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the indictment, which stems from a disturbing pattern of behavior between April 18, 2025, and May 1, 2025. During that roughly two week window, Chandler repeatedly called congressional offices and left voicemails fueled by grievances over immigration enforcement, armed conflicts, and wealth inequality.
But these weren't your garden variety angry constituent calls. According to the Department of Justice, Chandler used those messages to advocate violence against U.S. officials, their families, ICE agents, and wealthy Americans. He discussed plans to publish the personal information of ICE agents, claimed to know where members of Congress lived, described purchasing bladed weapons, and flatly stated, "I am willing to personally kill."
The indictment paints an even more chilling picture of Chandler's specific threats. He allegedly described in detail how ICE agents could be targeted for murder and assassination. In one particularly disturbing claim, he outlined a plan to "teach" restaurants how to poison ICE agents. He also expressed his desire to hang a member of Congress, attack another lawmaker and their family member, and even urged a congressional representative to assassinate the President in the Oval Office.
On May 1, Chandler left what would be his final threatening voicemail. In it, he praised anarchists for a historical bombing and closed with the words, "I want you to be terrified." The FBI arrested him at his home later that same day.
What investigators found inside his residence only strengthened the case against him. A personal journal seized during the arrest contained entries that revealed a man fully aware of how extreme his views had become, yet seemingly unable or unwilling to pull back.
"I keep calling Congress telling them I want them to kill all the ICE agents and billionaires. I must sound insane to them and yet that is where my heart and head are really at," Chandler wrote in one entry.
Another passage was even more direct: "I emotionally, politically, and intellectually support violent assaults on ICE agents. I actually support it. This is a very scary place to be."
A federal judge apparently agreed about the scary part. Following preliminary and detention hearings, the court determined that the evidence against Chandler was "strong" by clear and convincing standards and that he poses a serious danger to the community. He was ordered detained pending trial.
Each of the five counts carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, bringing the theoretical maximum to 50 years behind bars. The actual sentence, if Chandler is convicted, would be calculated under federal sentencing guidelines based on the severity of the offenses and any prior criminal history.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI. As with all federal indictments, the charges are accusations, and Chandler is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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