Brian Michael Gaherty, 61, of Houston, was sentenced earlier this week for making racist threats to kill Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. through numerous phone calls. In addition to receiving 33 months in federal prison, Gaherty was fined $10,000 according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner also noted that Gaherty targeted Waters because she is Black — therefore a hate-crime enhancement was added to his sentence. Gaherty’s lawyer, Joseph Vinas, said that his client was “very apologetic for what occurred.”
Vinas also said that it was his “sincerest belief that, but for the mental health condition he currently suffers as a result of being a victim of violent crime himself, this never would have occurred.”
Waters was present for the sentencing Monday and Vinas told her that Gaherty wanted to offer “a heartfelt plea for her forgiveness and apologized to her and all those who were affected by his comments.” Gaherty pleaded guilty to a count of threatening a United States official in January.
He confessed to threatening murder and assault to Waters four times in August and November 2022. Federal officials stated that “Gaherty made these threats with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with Waters while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties.”
In the August 2022 calls, Gaherty threatened to “put a cap” between Waters’ eyes, “cut [her] throat” and “stomp” her. In the November 2022 calls, Gaherty told Waters that she “done [expletive] up” because she reported his earlier threats to police.
He also said he would go after law enforcement and insisted that “this ain’t no threat. It’s a … promise.” Gaherty was finally arrested and indicted in August of last year on eight counts: four counts of making threats in interstate communications and four counts of threatening a U.S. official.
During the sentencing, Waters told the judge: “This growing effort to target people of color and women of color … has given me nightmares. I am in fear of my life. I believe that we must all be accountable. Nobody is above the law.”
