“Should I kill them one-by-one…?” Man pleads guilty to threatening election workers

FLORIDA – A Florida man has pleaded guilty to threatening election workers in Broward County, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has announced.

Joshua David Lubitz, 38, of Sunrise, has pleaded guilty in federal district court to threatening election workers during a federal primary election held in August 2022.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 17, 2022, Lubitz entered a polling station located within the Sunrise Senior Center. While inside, Lubitz was reportedly heard counting election workers and saying, “Should I kill them one by one, or should I blow the place up?”

He was also allegedly heard saying, “My dad would love this. It would be easy,” and “This would be nice and sweet.”

According to prosecutors, Lubitz left the center, walked to the parking lot, and entered his car. As he drove past the polling site entrance, Lubitz is said to have extended his arm toward two poll workers and made a threatening gesture toward them with his hand.

Lubitz is scheduled for sentencing on July 25 before U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz. He faces up to five years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Harry C. Wallace and Jeremy Thompson are prosecuting it.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-60205.