CAMDEN, N.J. — A Dallas man pleaded guilty Friday to making violent threats against a Sikh civil rights organization and other individuals in a series of hate-filled messages, federal prosecutors said.
Bushan Athale, 49, admitted in federal court to interfering with federally protected activities and transmitting interstate threats. Prosecutors said Athale left multiple voicemails in September 2022 for a Sikh advocacy group, threatening to harm its employees. In the messages, he made references to Sikh religious practices and described plans to forcibly shave and attack members of the organization.
Athale continued his threats in March 2024 with additional voicemails that included violent rhetoric targeting Sikhs, Muslims, and Jewish people. He also admitted to sending threatening electronic messages to a former co-worker and a recruiter he believed to be Muslim, expressing hatred and making death threats.
