A 62-year-old man from Philadelphia was indicted on Monday for allegedly threatening a state political party official involved in recruiting poll watchers. The Justice Department reported that the man sent text messages stating he would “skin you alive” and kill the official.

John Pollard is being charged at the federal level for making interstate threats since he used Apple’s iMessage service, which could result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

This case is a part of a federal initiative aimed at tackling threats against election personnel, involving cooperation among federal, state, and local agencies to uphold protective laws for those working at elections.

The individual targeted by Pollard is a staff member of a state political party based in western Pennsylvania, although their identity has not been disclosed in court documents. The threats were reported to have happened on September 6 around 10 p.m. in response to the official’s efforts to recruit volunteers as poll observers for the upcoming election.

One of the messages explicitly threatened, “I will kill you if you don’t answer me!” in large letters. Another message ominously warned that the recipient’s “days are numbered.” A third message, filled with offensive language, threatened to “find you and skin you alive and use your skin for” toilet paper.

Since the 2020 election, threats against individuals involved in elections surged, fueled by false claims of widespread fraud espoused by then-President Donald Trump and his followers. Despite investigations led by fellow Republicans revealing no significant issues affecting the election results, the claims and associated threats continue.

Pollard’s political affiliation and that of the victim have not been disclosed in the court records. Pollard was officially indicted on October 16, with the charges becoming public following his arrest on Monday. He has not yet made a court appearance, and no attorney has been identified for him in the records.