The Justice Department has unsealed criminal charges against Igor Lira, a 40-year-old Slovakian national. He faces allegations of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate or international commerce with the intent to injure. Following his extradition from Germany, Lira appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement alongside Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Baltimore Field Office.
According to court documents, on August 10, 2022, Lira allegedly threatened a senior investigator from the National Institutes of Health with a violent message stating: “You f*cking animal abuser, I’ll find and kill you, b*tch. I’ll drill your f*cking brain off, and I’ll film it so everyone can watch. You don't deserve anything else. Your days are counted.”
If found guilty, Lira could face up to five years in federal prison; however, sentences for federal crimes typically fall below maximum penalties as determined by a federal district court judge who considers various guidelines and statutory factors.
It is important to note that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty through due legal processes.
U.S. Attorney Barron expressed appreciation for the efforts of Germany's Public Prosecutor General's Office (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft) in Düsseldorf and Germany’s Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) for their roles in facilitating Lira’s extradition process. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs also played a crucial role in securing his extradition from Germany.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan will prosecute the case at the federal level.
Further information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office can be accessed via their official website at www.justice.gov/usao-md.
