A prisoner in Anamosa is charged with mailing threats to a federal judge.

A federal grand jury has charged Mathew James Howard with two counts — threats against a federal judge and mailing a threatening communication. The grand jury says Howard sent a letter on November 30th of 2017 in which he threatened to kill U.S. Northern District Court Judge Linda Reade.

Howard allegedly sent the letter while serving time in the Anamosa State Penitentiary on burglary and robbery convictions in Wapello County.