An Ohio man admitted to a federal campaign of threats against more than 30 public officials, using mailed letters, encrypted emails, and frightening props over nearly a year, and now faces multiple federal counts and stiff penalties.
An Ohio man pleaded guilty this week after investigators tied him to 92 threatening communications that targeted over 30 public officials. Ronald Lidderdale, 40, admitted guilt to 31 counts, including mailing threatening communications, transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.
Law enforcement seized two 9mm pistols, ammunition, a lock-picking kit and tactical gear from Lidderdale’s residence as part of the case. The scope of items recovered underlines how seriously authorities treated the threat and how closely the case was handled by multiple agencies.
“Threatening political violence against public officeholders is antithetical to our system of government and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Public officials must be permitted to carry out their duties free from threats that cause concern for their personal safety and the safety of their loved ones. Perpetrators like Lidderdale, who use mail or the internet to engage in such conduct, will be taken at their word and prosecuted accordingly.”
According to court documents, the threats ran from July 2024 through May 2025 and targeted both state and federal officials. At the state level the list included the governor, attorney general, secretary of state, members of the supreme court, state senators and representatives, and a gubernatorial candidate; federally, several members of the United States Congress were threatened.
“Ronald Lidderdale violently threatened public officials because he didn’t agree with their views,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “Threats of political violence have no place in our society and Lidderdale will be held accountable for his criminal actions.”
Lidderdale often mailed letters to the victims’ offices and homes, sometimes addressing letters to officials’ spouses and using return addresses tied to staffers, law firms and people in the community. Many of the envelopes contained a white powder that he claimed was poison, and he sometimes referred to the substance as ricin.
One of the mailed items included a single round of 9mm ammunition with the Ohio Attorney General’s name etched on it, and in January 2025 Lidderdale sent letters containing white powder to seven different locations while threatening to kill the governor. In all, nearly 50 letters with white powder were mailed during the campaign of threats.
To cloak his electronic threats, Lidderdale used a Switzerland-based email service to send encrypted messages anonymously, which complicated early investigative leads. He also sent written threats describing violence, repeatedly calling victims “fascists” and “pedophiles,” and threatening to shoot or poison them.
The defendant anonymously submitted an online tip to the FBI that included the exact words: “My urge to act has hit a boiling point. I believe that by removing those parasites will bring a renewed peace to all of Ohio…This is a fair warning that my urge to kill will break my patience…”
Forensics on Lidderdale’s devices showed he discussed his plans and legal exposure with an AI tool, and he asked ChatGPT directly about charges, potential sentences and conditions in federal prison. He described mailing threatening letters and sending a bullet with a victim’s name etched on it during those chats.
Lidderdale was arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint in May 2025, and the case moved quickly to a plea. Mailing threatening communications carries up to 10 years in prison per count, while making interstate threats, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking each carry up to five years per count, exposing him to significant federal penalties.
Multiple agencies and officials announced the plea, including Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cincinnati Division; and David Cunningham, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several local police departments. The plea was entered before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison, with Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz representing the United States in the matter.
