Wilbraham man indicted for alleged threats made to officials on social media
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Wilbraham man was indicted by a Springfield federal grand jury in connection with violent threats made online toward public figures and their families.
Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, 36, also known as 'Johnathan Funwayo Nyawo,' 'Michael Jacobs,' 'Robert Jacobs,' and 'Carl Fields,' was indicted on Tuesday following his arrest on February 5 in the Southern District of Florida.
Wilbraham man arrested for alleged violent threats against officials online
The indictment states that between July 30, 2024, and October 1, 2024, Nywao allegedly made numerous posts on X threatening to kill an elected U.S. official and their family, a former U.S. official and their family, and a former Massachusetts police officer and their family.
Nywao also allegedly threatened several local officials and their family members, the children of Wilbraham and Boston, members of the Wilbraham Police and Fire Departments and their families, a Springfield elementary school, and others.
Nyawo's social media posts occasionally referenced terrorist groups such as ISIS and allegedly called on the organizations to attack or kill individuals or groups he was harassing online.
Documents further stated that between August 17, 2024, and around October 1, 2024, Nyawo allegedly engaged in conduct on X with the intent of intimidating a U.S. official, as well as their spouse, child, child's spouse, and grandchildren.
Nyawo was indicted on Tuesday with 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vox
an hour ago
- Vox
Why the Supreme Court just handed a big victory to gun manufacturers
is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he focuses on the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and the decline of liberal democracy in the United States. He received a JD from Duke University and is the author of two books on the Supreme Court. Weapons seized from members of the gang Los Zetas are displayed by police during a presentation to the press, in Mexico City. Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images The Supreme Court handed down a unanimous opinion on Thursday that shuts down a lawsuit brought by the nation of Mexico against US gun companies. In Smith & Wesson v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Mexico sued seven American gun manufacturers, claiming that their products are often sold to gun traffickers who then provide these guns to Mexican drug cartels. The Mexican government claims that up to 90 percent of guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico come from the United States. SCOTUS, Explained Get the latest developments on the US Supreme Court from senior correspondent Ian Millhiser. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Unfortunately for Mexico, however, a 2005 law known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) gives American gunmakers broad immunity from lawsuits seeking to hold them liable for harms 'caused by the misuse of firearms by third parties, including criminals.' PLCAA does contain some exemptions to this general rule. As Justice Elena Kagan explains in the Court's Smith & Wesson opinion, a gunmaker can be held liable for 'aiding and abetting someone else's firearms offense.' Mexico claims that the gunmakers aided and abetted illegal sales to cartels by 'supply[ing] firearms to retail dealers whom they know illegally sell to Mexican gun traffickers.' Mexico also faults the companies for allowing bulk sales of guns, which can enable illegal sales, and for practices such as designing guns that appeal to Mexican culture. One such gun, for example, features an image of the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, along with a quote from Zapata: 'It is better to die standing than to live on your knees.' But Kagan's opinion concludes that the mere fact that US gun companies likely knew that some of their guns were being resold in the illegal market, much less that some of their guns are designed to appeal to Mexicans, is not enough to overcome PLCAA. As Kagan explains, this conclusion largely flows from the Court's fairly recent decision in Twitter v. Taamneh (2023). Twitter concerned an attack by the terrorist group ISIS that killed 39 people at a nightclub in Istanbul, including a man with American relatives. Those relatives sued several social media companies in US court, claiming that the companies aided and abetted the Istanbul attack by allowing ISIS to post content which promotes ISIS's ideology and that attempts to recruit people to the terrorist organization's cause. But Twitter warned against a legal regime where 'ordinary merchants could become liable for any misuse of their goods and services, no matter how attenuated their relationship with the wrongdoer.' As a general rule, someone who provides a good or service to all comers is not legally responsible if a bad actor uses their product for a wicked purpose. If Ford sells a truck to a man who intentionally uses it to run over and kill his wife, Ford normally will not be responsible for this homicide. And so Kagan concludes that it's not enough for Mexico to show that gunmakers could have taken additional steps to prevent their products from winding up in the hands of drug cartels. Instead, 'the merchant becomes liable only if, beyond providing the good on the open market, he takes steps to 'promote' the resulting crime and 'make it his own.'' Of course, one thing that distinguishes Smith & Wesson from Twitter is that social media platforms are not weapons whose entire purpose is to injure people. If PLCAA did not exist, Mexico might have argued that the gun companies' decision to make and sell an inherently dangerous product should make them liable for the consequences of selling such a product.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Springfield police arrest three in cocaine, heroin operation
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Three people were arrested in Springfield for possessing over 1,000 bags of heroin, cocaine, and illegal firearms inside a home. Springfield man arrested after six-hour standoff on Byers Street Over the past several weeks, the Springfield Police Firearms Investigation Unit has been investigating the illegal distribution of heroin from an apartment on the 0-100 block of Canon Circle. A search warrant was applied for and granted for the home, with the suspects being 41-year-old Jose Mendez-Collazo of Springfield and 29-year-old Mariester Rivera of Springfield. While Detectives were conducting surveillance on Wednesday, they observed Mendez-Collazo get into a car and leave the Canon Circle area. He then parked on the 0-100 block of Mill Street, and a woman entered the car. As she was exiting the vehicle, Detectives detained her, 38-year-old Arianna Alvarado-Torres of Springfield, and Mendez-Collazo. Heroin was found on Alvarado-Torres, and heroin and cocaine on Mendez-Collazo. While Detectives were waiting for the search warrant to be executed at Canon Circle, Rivera was seen getting into a car and leaving the area. A traffic stop was conducted on the 500 block of Cooley Street, and Rivera was detained. Detectives executed the search warrant, and over 20 grams of cocaine were inside the home, along with 32 grams of heroin (1,643 bags), ammunition, and three loaded firearms. One of the firearms was a rifle with a 30-round magazine. Detectives also seized nearly $25,000 in cash. Mendez-Collazo, Alvarado-Torres, and Rivera were placed under arrest. Jose Mendez-Collazo of Springfield is charged with: Possession of a Firearm without a License (Three Counts) Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (Three Counts) Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device Possession of a Firearm with a Defaced Serial Number Improper Storage of a Firearm (Two Counts) Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm Heroin/Fentanyl Trafficking 18-36 Grams Cocaine Trafficking 18-36 Grams Distribution of a Class A Drug Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle 38-year-old Arianna Alvarado-Torres of Springfield is charged with: Possession of a Class A Drug Default Warrant– Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle 29-year-old Mariester Rivera of Springfield is charged with: Possession of a Firearm without a License (Three Counts) Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony (Three Counts) Possession of Ammunition without an FID Card Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device Possession of a Firearm with a Defaced Serial Number Improper Storage of a Firearm (Two Counts) Improper Storage of a Large Capacity Firearm Heroin/Fentanyl Trafficking 18-36 Grams Cocaine Trafficking 18-36 Grams WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Safety tips for lithium-ion batteries after Pittsfield fire
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A large fire was put out at a homeless shelter in Pittsfield Wednesday night. Pittsfield police warn residents of retired officer impersonation scheme The Pittsfield Fire Department states that at 7:59 p.m. on Wednesday, crews were sent to 360 West Housatonic Street, Soldier On, for a reported building fire. When crews arrived, a large, open-air shed was fully on fire. The fire was put out within 30 minutes. The main Soldier On building nearby was damaged on the roof and some of the windows. The cause of the fire was determined to be a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery-powered E-Bike. The bike was found charging when it started a 'thermal runaway' of one or more Li-ion fuel cells. The fire then spread to the entire shed. No injuries were reported. Lithium-ion batteries can be found in many household items such as cell phones, laptops and tablets, watches, e-bikes, vape devices, electric vehicles, power tools, and many children's toys. These types of batteries are known for melting, catching fire, and even exploding sometimes. Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smartphones and laptops to scooters and electric vehicles, and they pack a lot of power into a small device. These products should be unplugged after they are finished charging to prevent a fire or explosion. To properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries, they can be brought to a household hazardous waste collection site or a battery recycling center such as Staples, Home Depot, and Lowe's. To find a location near you, visit Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Always follow the manufacturer's instructions Only use the battery and charging cord that is designed for the device Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed, or a couch Plug the charger directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip or extension cord Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged Keep batteries at room temperature when possible Do not charge them at temperatures below 32°F (0°C) or above 105°F (40°C). Do not leave them in a hot car, in direct sunlight, or freezing temperatures Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire Store scooters and e-bikes outdoors if possible. If you must store them indoors, keep them away from doors, windows, and stairways Have working smoke alarms and a home escape plan that includes two ways out WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
