Alaska man accused by feds of threatening, stalking Michigan mayor

A Wasilla, Alaska, man is accused of sending threatening messages and stalking a Michigan mayor. 

James Lawhorn, 54, is charged with seven counts of making threats in interstate commerce and one count of stalking, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska, said. 

According to court documents, between Sept. 18 and 23, 2025, Lawhorn allegedly sent more than 20 messages via various Facebook pages, on a city website and over the phone, threatening the mayor of an unidentified Michigan municipality. 

The messages included in court documents contain assassination threats, including via firing squad and hanging, as well as Islamophobic and homophobic rhetoric. 

Some of the messages included in the documents included statements like: 

• "This mayor needs to be killed now…. Hang him and all his family now.  He is not safe on the streets anymore."
• "No sleep until he is in the dirt along with all his scum family and friends and Muslims."
• "No Muslim is an American citizen and never will be – you are all terrorist and shall be treated as do. Either by hanging or firing squad."

Court documents make no mention of the mayor's name or the municipality to which Lawhorn is alleged to have sent the threatening messages. 

Lawhorn made his first appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska on Aug. 10. 

If convicted, Lawhorn faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.