Man accused of threatening to 'gut' Rand Paul with an ax ordered to take meds

Billy Kobin | Courier Journal

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A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a man accused of threatening to chop up U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and his family with an ax to receive medication so that he can regain competency and stand trial.

Nathanial B. Luffman, 33, was accused in 2018 of threatening Paul, his family and an unnamed Oregon state official in phone calls and emails, according to court records.

Luffman appeared Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman, who is in Oregon, via video conference from a federal medical center in Springfield, Missouri, according to court records.

Luffman, 33, previously lived in Murray, Kentucky, and he was arrested in Berkeley, California, in June 2018 after he allegedly left a threatening email and voicemail for several Oregon state employees and a U.S. Capitol Police special agent, according to a criminal complaint.

In the email, Luffman allegedly threatened to “gut” Paul, his wife and children “like (a) hog” and included the hashtag “ObamaForLife,” according to the federal complaint.

Background: Man allegedly threatens to chop up Rand Paul and his family with an ax

The same morning he sent the email, Luffman allegedly left a voicemail at the office of an Oregon state official who works in a Portland federal building, the complaint stated.

Luffman introduced himself in the voicemail as “Senator Nathaniel Blaine” and threatened to “hack to pieces” Paul’s children, according to federal authorities.

Paul first mentioned the threats publicly in July 2018 at an event in Leitchfield and said his Bowling Green office also received the threats.

"It's just horrendous that we have to deal with things like this,” Paul said at the time.

Luffman had been living in Portland before his arrest in California, The Oregonian reported.

A review of law enforcement databases showed Luffman also had a history of threatening U.S. government officials, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators reviewed a Facebook account for Luffman and found it had several posts originating from Berkeley.

He was arrested in the California city and later transferred to Oregon to face a four-count federal indictment.

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Luffman is represented by a federal public defender and has pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening a federal official, threatening the family of a federal official and two counts of interstate communication.

He was ruled not competent to aid in his defense in February and ordered to be sent to the federal medical center in Springfield, according to court records.

Psychiatrists at the center diagnosed Luffman with schizophrenia, finding he suffers from delusions, hallucinations and has displayed disruptive and bizarre behavior, and Luffman believes the charges he’s facing are based on a conspiracy to silence him, The Oregonian reported.

The Portland newspaper also reported that a psychologist said Luffman has “stridently and adamantly refused’’ to take medication to help restore his competency.

Mosman, the federal judge in Oregon, granted the U.S. Attorney’s Office request that Luffman be medicated involuntarily to restore his competency.

A new competency hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24, according to court records.

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Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.