A Texas man who posted four racist death threats on Rep. Maxine Waters’ voicemail now faces prison time, but says he doesn’t remember how he did it

A Texas resident who called Rep. Maxine Waters several times in 2022 to threaten to kill her will spend almost three years behind bars.

On Monday, a judge sentenced 61-year-old Brian Michael Gaherty to 33 months in prison.

Gaherty pleaded guilty to at least one count of threatening a United States official in January after admitting that between August and November 2022, he threatened Waters with assault and murder four times between August and November 2022.

Prosecutors said Gaherty called Waters’ Los Angeles County district office and left four voicemails, all containing racist and misogynistic language.

According to indictmentGaherty called Waters a “black bitch” and threatened to “stomper” her and “put a hat” between her eyes. In one voicemail, Gaherty said he would “cut your throat.”

Authorities contacted Gaherty in October 2022 and warned him to stop calling Waters after he left the primary two voicemails. Despite these warnings, he called her two more times, saying she was “done (expletive”) by reporting his threats to police. He also stated: “It just isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.”

“Tell Congresswoman Maxine Waters when I see her on the street that I will blow her upside down,” Gaherty said. in line with the criminal criticism.

In August 2023, Gaherty was arrested and charged with eight menacing charges – four for making threats on interstate communications and four for threatening a U.S. official.

During sentencing, the judge added a hate crime enhancement to the sentence after ruling that Gaherty targeted Waters due to her race. Gaherty was also fined $10,000.

Gaherty’s attorney, Joseph Vinas, he told The Independentthat Gaherty offered Waters a “sincere and heartfelt apology.”

“Due to his mental health condition, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he had no memory of making such comments to her,” Vinas said. “But now he realizes he did it and he is incredibly remorseful.”

As a congresswoman, Waters received death threats.

In 2018, Anthony Lloyd Scott pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a call he made to her office in 2017 and a death threat he left on her voicemail.