Southern California man convicted for threatening to kill Orange County judge

A 34-year-old man was convicted of threatening to kill an Orange County judge who presided over his case.

Byrom Zuniga Sanchez, a former Laguna Niguel resident who moved to Mexico, was found guilty of two counts of threats by interstate and foreign communication, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count. 

Prosecutors said during the three-day trial that Sanchez sent multiple death threats via email to Orange County Superior Court Judge Sandy Leal between May 2023 and July 2023. The Justice Department said Sanchez also threatened to kill or harm other judges, lawyers and law enforcement officials. 

In one of the emails, Sanchez wrote that he was "more committed to murdering you than I am to being present as a father," according to prosecutors. In the same email, he added, "You're already dead. The remainder of my life will be dedicated to assassinating judges, attorneys, and a police station's entire shift staff."

Law enforcement believes that Sanchez was in Mexico when he sent the threatening emails. In February 2024, officers arrested Sanchez in San Diego after he tried to cross the border into the U.S. 

Sanchez's sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 2026.