El Paso man charged with posting violent threats against gov’t on far-right site tied to Capitol riot

EL PASO, Texas — An El Paso man who allegedly posted threats advocating murder and terrorism aimed at government officials on a social media platform favored by the far-right was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury.

The FBI arrested 49-year-old Michael Reyes last month after discovering the threats posted on the alternative social network Parler, and he remained in custody as prosecutors sought the indictment.

Reyes is charged with transmitting interstate communication with threat to injure.

Daryl Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Reyes faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine if he is convicted of the charge.

Meantime, Parler has all but vanished from the internet this week. Major tech platforms, including Apple, Google and Amazon booted the conservative social network for what the companies said was a failure to moderate incitement and violent rhetoric on its service that contributed to the recent deadly U.S. Capitol riot.