DALLAS — A federal jury has convicted a Dallas man of threatening federal judges and sending hoax biological weapons communications that triggered a courthouse shutdown and HAZMAT response, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Donald Ray McCray, 67, was convicted April 15, 2026, after a two-day trial and about one hour of jury deliberations.
Jurors found McCray guilty of three counts of mailing threatening communications to federal judges in the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of New York, as well as one count of sending a hoax biological weapon to the federal courthouse in Fort Worth.
According to evidence presented at trial, McCray mailed multiple threatening letters containing white powder to the clerk of courts at the Fort Worth and Amarillo federal courthouses in March 2025 while incarcerated in a Texas state prison.
Prosecutors said the letters included threats to kill multiple government employees, including federal district court judges.
Authorities said one of the letters sent to the Fort Worth courthouse prompted a full HAZMAT response and temporarily shut down the courthouse while multiple agencies responded to secure the building.
After being indicted in June 2025, prosecutors said McCray made additional threats against judges and government employees during a federal court hearing.
Evidence presented at trial also showed McCray had a prior 2019 Texas conviction involving threats against a state judge under similar circumstances.
“Threats and disruptions to the orderly functioning of our federal courts will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said. “With this verdict, North Texas residents held the defendant accountable for his threats and attempts to undermine our judiciary.”
“The FBI takes threats to federal officials and courthouse personnel seriously,” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said. “This collaborative effort ensured that this offender was held accountable for threatening our judicial system.”
McCray is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
He faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each threatening communications count, up to five years on the hoax biological weapons count, and a possible $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by multiple federal, state and local agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth police and fire departments, and other partners.
