Federal authorities arrested a New Jersey man over the weekend for threatening the life of a sitting federal judge for what the man claimed was an "unacceptable" delay in his case, prosecutors say.
William Kaetz, a 56-year-old Paramus man who previously sued the U.S. government for allowing "socialists and Muslims" hold federal jobs, is accused of obtaining the judge's home address and delivering phone calls, emails and U.S. postage to communicate with and threaten the judge, court documents show. Kaetz admitted to paying an "internet-based service" to obtain the home address, he told federal officials.
Alleged communications posted from William Kaetz contained threatening language, specifically calling the judge a "traitor" and that "traitors have a death sentence," the documents show.
The FBI documented contact on Sept. 24, when Kaetz sent postage to the judge's home that enclosed a document requesting the judge expedite his case before the judge, investigators say. In an interview later that day, Kaetz said he felt the judge "had taken too long on his case" and believed the delay was unacceptable.
Almost one week later on Sept. 30, it was reported to investigators that Kaetz left a voicemail back on Sept. 18 at the judge's chambers saying he wouldn't be "sitting around" waiting up to a year for another bad decision. In the 72-second voicemail, Kaetz said he wanted the judge off the bench and "would not take no for an answer," investigators say.
Then, on Sunday, Kaetz sent an email to U.S. marshals and the judge's personal email account, investigators say. In the email, they say Kaetz warned the judge's address "will become public knowledge very soon and God knows who has a grievance and what will happen after that..." It was also in this email that Kaetz describes the judge as a "traitor," one that "needs to be delt with."
Kaetz was arrested by authorities later that day and charged with "making an interstate communication containing a threat to injure a person and with threatening to assault and murder a federal judge."
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The judge was not identified by the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey, but court filings show that Kaetz had at least three cases before one Newark judge in particular.
If convicted of the alleged crime to threaten a federal judge, Kaetz faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Prosecutors say Kaetz was scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon. Contact information for his attorney was not immediately known.
