Pittsburgh Man Charged with Threatening Communications and Impeding FBI Investigation

PITTSBURGH – Khaled Miah, 27, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and former student at the University of Pittsburgh, has been charged by Indictment with five counts of making interstate threatening communications, two counts of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a Federal law enforcement officer, and one count of destruction of records in a federal investigation, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

According to the Indictment, from on or about December 27, 2020 through on or about December 31, 2020, Miah posted threats directed at individual FBI agents who were investigating him, as well as the FBI generally. In December 2020, FBI personnel identified a publicly visible Twitter account created by Miah. From the date of its creation to on or about January 1, 2021, Miah used this Twitter account to threaten, intimidate and harass FBI Pittsburgh Agents and the FBI. In addition, after posting the threatening statements, and with full knowledge of the FBI investigation into his conduct, Miah subsequently deleted those posts which impeded, obstructed, and influenced the FBI investigation.

Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, University of Pittsburgh Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Probation, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.