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Indian American man pleads guilty to hate crime against Sikh nonprofit
Bushan Athale now faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for interfering with federally protected activities and up to five years for transmitting an interstate threat.
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Bushan Athale, a 49-year-old Indian American man from Texas, has pleaded guilty to making violent threats against employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization, admitting to a federal hate crime and interstate threats.
Athale pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with federally protected activities through the threatened use of a dangerous weapon and one count of transmitting an interstate threat to injure another person.
“Threats of violence have no place in our society,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey. “Every individual in this country must be free to practice their religion without fear of violence or persecution.”
According to court documents, on Sep.17, 2022, Athale called the main line of an organization that advocates for Sikh civil rights and left seven voicemails expressing hatred toward Sikh individuals, threatening to injure or kill them with a razor. His messages included violent and obscene language, referencing Sikh religious symbols and practices.
Athale’s threats continued on Mar.21, 2024, when he again left two voicemails targeting Sikhs, Muslims, and Jews with violent and hateful rhetoric.
During his guilty plea, Athale admitted to additional incidents of religiously motivated threats. In November 2021, he sent messages to a former co-worker stating, “I hate Pakistan” and “I hate Muslims,” adding, “Probably I will hire a Jew, they will be most happy” to harm them. In May 2024, he sent similar threats to a recruiter he believed to be Muslim, warning, “You will be dead” and “If you don’t back off, you are killed.”
Athale faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for interfering with federally protected activities and up to five years for transmitting an interstate threat. He could also be fined up to $250,000 for each charge. Sentencing is set for June.3, with a federal judge determining the final penalty.
“Every citizen has the right to feel safe, secure, and free from fear of violence or hate,” said Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Jason M. Richardson, along with Justice Department Trial Attorney Eric Peffley, are prosecuting.
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