CONCORD – Ryder Winegar, the 33-year-old Amherst resident arrested last month on allegations he left threatening voicemails at the offices of six members of Congress, has been indicted on a total of seven counts, according to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray.

The indictments, handed up Monday by a federal grand jury, accuse Winegar, whose last known address is 35 Juniper Drive, of threatening six members of Congress and one New Hampshire state representative, whose identity wasn’t provided.

Winegar has been incarcerated since last week, when a judge ordered him held as his case moves forward in federal court.

Authorities arrested Winegar, who is reportedly a U.S. Navy veteran, on Jan. 11, following investigations by District of Columbia and federal agents into the political unrest following the presidential election, which eventually culminated in the Jan. 6 attack by mobs of insurrectionists upon the U.S. Capitol.

Investigators have not tied Winegar to the insurrection, nor have they accused him of being involved in the “rally” that preceded the Capitol attack.

Nashua attorney Charles Keefe, who is representing Winegar, told news outlets recently that the allegations “were not connected to the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol.

“There are no allegations, and we are in possession of no information, that the allegations against Mr. Winegar are in any way connected to the events of Jan. 6 …,” Keefe said in a statement.

Nor is there anything to suggest that Winegar “was even present in Washington, D.C.” on Jan. 6, he added.

According to Murray, the U.S. attorney, Winegar allegedly left the voicemails at the lawmakers’ offices on Dec. 16-17. In some cases, Murray said, Winegar allegedly identified himself by name or left his phone number.

The contents of the voicemails Winegar allegedly left “threatened to hang the members of Congress … if they did not ‘get behind Donald Trump.'”

In one instance, Murray said, Winegar allegedly said, “I got some advice for you. Here’s the advice: Donald Trump is your president. If you don’t get behind him, we’re going to hang you until you die.”

Two days earlier, according to one of the indictments, Winegar contacted a New Hampshire state representative and allegedly threatened “to pull him from his bed and hang him.”

The date of Winegar’s next court appearance wasn’t immediately available.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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