DEARBORN — Federal authorities have charged an Alaska man with making a series of violent and Islamophobic threats against Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud through telephone calls, social media and the city’s website.

A federal grand jury indicted James Lawhorn, 54, of Wasilla, Alaska, on seven counts of making threats in interstate commerce and one count of stalking, according to an August 10 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

The federal indictment does not identify Hammoud by name, referring to the target only as the mayor of a Michigan city. However, WXYZ-TV independently confirmed that Hammoud was the public official who received the threats.

According to court documents, Lawhorn allegedly sent more than 20 threatening messages between September 18 and September 23, 2025. The communications were sent to multiple Facebook accounts, through a city website and by telephone.

Federal prosecutors said the messages contained threats to injure or kill the mayor and included violent, Islamophobic and homophobic rhetoric. Some allegedly called for the mayor and members of his family to be hanged or killed by a firing squad.

“This mayor needs to be killed now,” one message stated, according to the indictment. “Hang him and all his family now. He is not safe on the streets anymore.”

Another message allegedly stated, “We must get this scum out of our country now. Put a bullet in this [expletive]’s head now.”

The alleged threats extended beyond Hammoud and his family to Muslims throughout the United States.

“All Muslims must now die in America,” another message stated, before threatening the mayor’s family, friends and the broader Muslim community.

In another communication, Lawhorn allegedly claimed that Muslims could not be American citizens, described all Muslims as terrorists and called for them to be hanged or executed by firing squad.

Lawhorn made his initial appearance on August 10 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

If convicted, Lawhorn faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence would be imposed by a federal district judge after consideration of federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Steward is prosecuting it.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and FBI Anchorage Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel announced the charges.

An indictment is an allegation, and Lawhorn is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.