A federal grand jury in Amarillo has indicted a man accused of sending threatening letters and suspicious powder-filled envelopes to multiple federal judges and courthouses across three states, officials announced this week.
Donald Ray McCray was formally indicted on Tuesday, June 17, on four felony counts — two for “mailing a threatening communication” and two for “false information and hoax.” The charges stem from a series of letters and mailings he allegedly sent in early March to federal judges and courthouses in Texas and New York.
According to the indictment and supporting court documents, McCray allegedly mailed threatening letters on March 7 to a federal judge in Fort Worth and another judge based in Brooklyn, New York. The nature of the threats has not been publicly disclosed, but the communications were deemed serious enough to prompt federal investigation and security responses.
In addition to the threatening messages, McCray is accused of sending envelopes containing an unidentified white powder to federal courthouses in Amarillo and Fort Worth on the same day. Investigators later determined the powder was not a harmful substance. However, the envelopes were allegedly meant to simulate the presence of a biological agent — such as anthrax — with the intent to cause fear and disruption.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but say McCray was already in state custody at the time the indictment was issued. A federal warrant for his arrest related to these new charges is expected to be executed in coordination with state officials.
Incidents involving white powder or bio-agent hoaxes are treated seriously by law enforcement due to the potential threat to public safety and the disruption they cause to court operations. Emergency response teams are typically called in to test suspicious substances, which can lead to building evacuations, delayed proceedings, and increased security costs.
If convicted on all charges, McCray could face significant prison time. Each count of mailing threatening communications carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. The false information and hoax charges, which involve threats involving biological or hazardous materials, could result in even more severe penalties.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that such threats — even if ultimately determined to be hoaxes — undermine the safety and integrity of the judicial system.
“This kind of conduct is not just disruptive — it’s dangerous,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “We take any threats against federal judges or courthouses extremely seriously, and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
