Former N.J. man threatened state official, judges in violent voicemails, feds say

A former Somerset County man was charged Thursday with leaving violent voicemails threatening three New Jersey judges, a local elected official and a resident of his former town, authorities said.

Abhinaba Barthakur, 58, formerly of Hillsborough Township, was charged with five counts of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce and one count of retaliating against a federal judge by threat, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey.

Barthakur is a dual citizen of the United States and India who left the United States in 2018 and has not returned since then, the office said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office could not immediately be reached for comment and no attorney information was listed for Barthakur.

Between Sept. 13, 2020 and Nov. 26, 2024, Barthakur called a United States District Court Judge in the District of New Jersey and two New Jersey Superior Court judges and left them voicemails with threats, including assault, murder and removal of fingers, the office said.

Two of the judges presided over civil cases involving Barthakur and another presided over a family court matter that involved him, authorities said.

On July 14, 2020, Barthakur called the Somerville office of a government official in the executive branch of the state and left a voicemail message threatening to assault them and remove their fingers, the office said.

On Oct. 16, 2023, Barthakur called a Somerset County resident and left voicemail messages threatening to assault and murder them using a .22 caliber handgun, federal prosecutors said.

None of the people threatened by Barthakur were identified in the statement.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.