Engineer indicted on murder threat charges
Posted: 08.09.2012 at 4:04 PM
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS -- A former employee of the federal Bureau of Land Management has been indicted on charges of that he maintained a list of targets of fellow employees he threatened, according to court records.

On Wednesday a Lubbock Grand Jury indicted Peter Madrid, 38, of Amarillo, on one count of threatening to murder a federal employee, one count of threatening to assault a federal employee and one count of intimidation and interference with certain officers or employees.

Madrid was in custody in the Randall County Jail until he was release August 2 pending another arraignment hearing in federal court.

Madrid had been an engineer employed at the Bureau of Land Management's Amarillo office on South Fillmore Street.

On July 26 authorities arrested Madrid after complaints had been filed that he threatened to kill at least six coworkers and sexually harassed female employees, court records said.

The threats of assault and intimidation charges are misdemeanors, and the murder threat is a felony.

The two threats counts against a federal employee carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The intimidating or interfering with a federal employee count carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison and a fine of $100,000.

In the FBI arrest affidavit, bureau workers told FBI agents they missed work the day following threats made by Madrid and feared he "would follow through on his statements." Employees had learned their "names were on a "list" of BLM employees that he would like to kill."

The affidavit also said Madrid is known to have had a military background and claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after two tours in Iraq.

The manager of the BLM also confirmed in the affidavit "that Madrid had been making threatening statements toward fellow BLM employees, and that many employees were scared of Madrid and what he might do."

Investigators also received signed witness statements from three employees who described their concerns about Madrid's behavior.

The federal court set a bond tentatively at $25000 with a condition of custody to be placed upon Madrid's wife.