Mourners Attend Funeral Of Rep. Elijah Cummings In Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 25: Dr. Leana Wen speaks during the funeral services for late U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD) at the New Psalmist Baptist Church October 25, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. A sharecropper’s son who rose to become a civil rights champion and the chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Cummings died last week of complications from longstanding health problems at the age of 68. Photo by Lloyd Fox-Pool/Getty Images

A Texas man faces up to five years in prison after being indicted on federal charges, accusing him of threatening the former Baltimore health commissioner and prominent Maryland doctor, an outspoken COVID-19 vaccine advocate.

Maryland Doctor Receives Threats After Supporting COVID-19 Vaccine

According to the Houston Chronicle, based on the release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal grand jury in Baltimore indicted 51-year-old Scott Eli Harris on Tuesday. Harris was charged with a single count of willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure another individual. He was a resident of Aubrey, Texas.

If Harris were convicted, he would be facing up to five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.

Harris allegedly sent violent messages and threats to former Baltimore health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. Harris allegedly threatened the Maryland doctor for advocating the COVID-19 vaccine.

Texas Man Sends Series of Threats to COVID-19 Advocate

Based on the report of Newsweek, the court document mentioned that Wen received violent and explicit threats in July.

"I can't wait for the shooting to start...where's your f**king office?" Harris said.

Harris also said to the prominent Maryland doctor that he would never take Wen's wonder drug and his 12-gauge promised that he would not.

Also, Harris stated that he was a 5th generation U.S. Army veteran and a sniper. He said that he could not wait for the shooting to start.

Aside from the threats received by the prominent Maryland doctor, Harris also allegedly used slurs targeting the doctor's race and national origin in the series of messages. Dr. Leana Wen, who was born in China, moved to the United States at the age of 8. The Maryland doctor appeared on some news agencies as a medical analyst in the past.

The indictment on Harris was issued on September 29 and became unsealed after Harris was arrested in Texas.

Moreover, Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said that they are taking threats and intimidation seriously, and the conduct shown by Harris made it clear that he would be prosecuted federally.

Barron added that they would continue their work with their partners in law enforcement. The U.S. attorney said that they would investigate and prosecute those who were making such threats.

Furthermore, Federal prosecutors in Maryland previously charged a man from West Virginia in July after he threatened to kill Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Fauci is also the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden and his family and Dr. Francis Collins, the current Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner at the time said that they would never tolerate violent threats against public officials and their public health officials deserved thanks and appreciation for their tireless work.

Lenzner added that they would not hesitate to bring charges against individuals who seek to use fear to silence these public servants, especially those who are advocating against COVID-19.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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