A Texas man received a nearly three-year-long jail sentence after his criminal conviction for leaving threatening and racist voicemails for California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters. 

United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner sentenced Brian Michael Gaherty, 61, of Houston, to 33 months in federal prison and fined him $10,000. The judge found that Gaherty targeted Waters because of her race and added a hate-crime enhancement to his sentence, the Department of Justice said in a news release. 

“Threats to harm or kill elected officials are anathema to our nation’s values and must not — and will not — be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office and the entire Department of Justice will continue to combat threats against public officials and other attempts to chill democracy.”

Gaherty pleaded guilty on Jan. 29 to one count of threatening a United States official.

TEXAS MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO KILL REP. MAXINE WATERS IN RACIST VOICEMAILS

In his plea agreement, Gaherty admitted to threatening to assault and murder Waters on four separate occasions in August and November 2022. The threats were made in four voicemails left at Waters’ district office in Los Angeles County, which all contained profanity and racist language. 

According to an affidavit given by U.S. Capitol Police agent Michael Guest, Gaherty went on a series of racist tirades against the California congresswoman, at one point saying, “Hey, you black b—-.  You f— with my people man. All that racism s— b—-, you up in age, 80 years old and s—, trying to remember 1960 and all that bulls—. And causing controversy b—-.  We got something for your ass now b—-, you black motherf—–.  Yeah, we coming for you bro.”

In August 2022, he threatened to “put a cap” between the lawmaker’s “eyes,” “cut [her] throat,” and “stomp” her. Gaherty also warned that she “better move” because he and his “boys in the area” had a “contract” on her life.” 

Gaherty also left threatening messages with Waters’ staff, according to the criminal complaint.

‘CORRUPT CRIMINAL’: MAXINE WATERS RECEIVES BACKLASH OVER VITRIOLIC RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S GUILTY VERDICT

President Biden is welcomed by Rep. Maxine Waters, center, and Mayor Karen Bass to Los Angeles after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

“Tell Congresswoman Maxine Waters when I see her on the street I’m going to bust her upside her head,” Gaherty told a staffer. “F—, who this is, tell that lying b—- I’m looking for her.”

Gaherty did not conceal his phone number, allowing U.S. Capitol Police to easily trace the source of the calls via data from T-Mobile and TracFone.

Authorities contacted Gaherty and warned him to stop in October 2022, but he persisted in making violent threats. In a November 2022 voicemail, Gaherty told the congresswoman she “done [expletive] up” by reporting his threats to law enforcement. 

REP. MAXINE WATERS: TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘TRAINING UP IN THE HILLS’ FOR ELECTION ATTACK

Representative Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California and ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, left, and Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, right, prior to a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“You better watch your back,” he told her, according to investigators. 

Waters appeared in federal court on Monday and told Judge Klausner that her family members live “in fear every day” because of the threats made by Gaherty, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“This growing effort to target people of color and women of color … has given me nightmares. I am in fear of my life,” Waters said. 

“I believe that we must all be held accountable. Nobody is above the law.” 

Joe Vinas, Gaherty’s defense attorney, said, “Mr. Gaherty was himself the victim of a horribly violent crime in 2016 and suffers from an extreme, chronic case of PTSD. Before he was shot and robbed at his own home, he led an exemplary life. Had he not been a crime victim himself, this case never would have happened.”

“Congresswoman Waters was present in court Monday and Mr. Gaherty extended a sincere and heartfelt apology to her,” Vinas continued. “Because of his mental health condition, that includes but is not limited to his PTSD, he did not remember making the comments to her. However, he now realizes he did and is incredibly remorseful.”

Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

Authorities in Illinois have identified the two girls killed in jet ski crash earlier this week, including a 16-year-old from Orange County.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has identified the two girls as 16-year-old Sarina Vootkur of Lake Forest and 13-year-old Elle Kim of Long Grove, Illinois.

Results of autopsies conducted Thursday determined that the two girls died from “blunt force injuries” suffered in the crash.

According to Sheriff’s officials, on Tuesday, the two girls were riding a Yamaha WaveRunner on Lake Marie near Antioch Township, a town located in Illinois, about 70 miles north of Chicago.

Vootkur was driving the vehicle with Kim riding on the back. Witnesses said the girls were traveling at a high rate of speed directly in the path of a speed boat driven by a 55-year-old Illinois man.

The two vehicles collided and both girls were thrown into the water and knocked unconscious. They were both wearing life vests which allowed for the occupants of the boat to pull them from the water and provide first aid until they were able to take them to shore, officials said.

The girls were taken to a nearby hospital and were pronounced deceased after they arrived, Sheriff’s officials said. No other injuries were reported in the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by the local Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Conservation Police.

The Department of Justice unsealed the indictment against Dr. Eithan Haim, a whistleblower who pleaded not guilty after being accused of HIPAA violations over exposing a Texas hospital that was allegedly secretly conducting gender-affirming care on minors. 

Haim, a surgeon who completed his residency at the Texas Children’s Hospital, has been indicted on four felony charges. The previously sealed indictment, filed May 29 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, accused Haim of attempting to re-activate his login credentials under false pretenses after they expired due to lack of activity.  

The indictment by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani alleges that Haim “obtained unauthorized individually identifiable health HIPAA protected information on pediatric patients” and “caused malicious harm to TCH, pediatric patients at TCH and its physicians by contacting a media contact.” 

Haim, who faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, pleaded not guilty and said he was innocent during a court appearance on Monday. 

DOJ CHARGES TEXAS DOCTOR AFTER HE BLEW THE WHISTLE ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS

“I have maintained from day one that I have done nothing wrong. We’re going to fight this tooth and nail, stand up for whistleblowers everywhere,” Haim said, according to KHOU11 in Houston. 

Haim leaked documents to journalist Christopher Rufo in May 2023 showing that the Texas Children’s Hospital continued operating its child gender clinic against state law after they claimed it had been shut down.

Rufo previously stressed that none of the documents he obtained from Haim included patients’ personal information at the clinic. However, the indictment says the Texas Children’s Hospital was harmed by the doctor’s actions. 

“As a result of HAIM’S actions, TCH resulted in financial loss, medical delays in previously scheduled patients as well as threats and harm to its patients and esteemed physicians. In furtherance of his malicious intent, HAIM obtained unauthorized HIPAA protected information and intentionally contacted a media outlet to grossly mischaracterize TCH’s medical procedures in order to damage the reputation of TCH and its physicians and to promote his own personal agenda,” the indictment states.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released an opinion in February 2022 that stated gender-affirming care for kids could be a form of child abuse under state law. The following month, Texas Children’s Hospital issued a statement saying it would stop all treatments and surgeries on children related to transgenderism.

In a piece published in the City Journal, Haim claimed that three days after the announcement, a surgeon implanted a hormone device in an 11-year-old girl who was experiencing gender dysphoria.

BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DIRECTOR CALLS FOR DRASTIC INCREASE IN CAPACITY FOR GENDER SURGERIES FOR MINORS 

Dr. Eithan Haim says the hospital was secretly continuing with gender-affirming care procedures despite claiming the program would be dissolved. (The Ingraham Angle/Screengrab)

Haim said that over the next year, the frequency of these procedures increased.

Following the May 14, 2023 story by Rufo that included Haim’s first-hand account, the Texas legislature passed a law that banned transgender medical interventions on minors. 

Haim has vowed to fight the charges and suggested the DOJ is corrupt.

“They wanted to intimidate me into silence using every technique the federal leviathan had at their disposal. But they failed,” Haim wrote on X when he was initially charged. “The only way to lose is to submit to corruption. It’s time to fight back harder than ever!”

Haim’s attorney, Marcella Burke, has insisted this is government overreach. 

“Our client is a mandatory reporter of child abuse who reported as a whistleblower to the State of Texas what he had seen in his hospital… this is the government going out of its way to prosecute a whistleblower,” Burke said in a statement. 

Burke added when reached by Fox News Digital: “I am honored to represent Dr Haim. We received the indictment moments before his arraignment. It appears that the government has its facts wrong, they misunderstand the situation, and it’s unclear they understand how HIPAA works. Our client will have his day in court and we are going to fight these charges.” 

Texas Children’s Hospital and the DOJ did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

MAHER CALLS OUT ‘WOKE EXCESS’ OF U.S. MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT: ‘AFRAID’ TO BACK DOWN ON GENDER CARE FOR KIDS

The doctor’s pregnant wife, Andrea Haim, is petrified that her husband will miss the birth of their child. 

“My husband is a whistleblower and a hero, who is being targeted in a baseless political prosecution for telling the truth when Texas Children’s Hospital was hiding its transgender procedures on children. He has now been charged with four felonies. The impact of this on our family has been devastating both emotionally and financially. I am six months pregnant, and I am terrified that my husband will not be there when I give birth or for the first part of our daughter’s life,” Andrea Haim told Fox News Digital. 

“But as difficult as this has been, it is a privilege to take on this fight for children and to preserve the ability of whistleblowers to tell the truth,” she continued. “We cannot do it alone.”

The Haim family said they have “spent our life savings and every penny to our name in legal fees” and have started a fundraiser to cover the legal defense. 

Fox News Digital’s Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.