An El Paso man pleaded guilty in a federal cyberstalking case after sending thousands of threatening messages to an ex-girlfriend and her family, including menacing to commit mass shootings, court documents stated.

Rashad Marquise Ray, 24, continued sending hundreds of harassing messages from phony social media accounts even after FBI agents had warned him twice over the past year to stop, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said.

Stalkers: El Paso man arrested in Florida, accused of stalking pop star Shakira

The messages included threats to shoot up a shopping mall, burn down his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s house and kill himself if his ex didn’t talk to him, according to a criminal complaint filed by an FBI agent.

Ray pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking on Jan. 11 in U.S. District Court in Downtown El Paso, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Ray faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4 by Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones.

Threats to ‘shoot up’ mall, burn house down

A federal investigation began on Feb. 9, 2023, after the FBI received a report that Ray had made several threats toward an ex-girlfriend, her family and the public. Two days earlier, Ray had messaged the woman’s sister on Facebook, stating, “I’m going to burn your mom’s house down,” as well as threatening to “shoot up” a mall.

The ex-girlfriend, who resides in another state, told agents that she and Ray previously dated but had ended the relationship about two years ago. Ray did not take the breakup well and has since been harassing the woman and threatening her and her family, the complaint stated.

The woman told agents she feared Ray would travel to where she now lives and harm her and her family, documents said.

Local crime: Man arrested for allegedly exposing himself, having gun in outside Socorro supermarket

The woman blocked Ray on social media, but he continued to create multiple fake accounts to contact her and her family, the FBI complaint stated.

A post by Ray on the woman’s sister’s TikTok account stated, “if she (the victim) blocks me again I’m going to godowntown and shoot everybody and then put the gun in my mouth and pull the trigger. I have absolutely nothing to live for.”

At another point, Ray tagged the victim in a TikTok post and captioned it, “I want to kill you. you’ve caused me nothing but pain and suffering.”

FBI warns El Paso man, but ‘bloodthirsty’ threats continue

On Feb. 10, 2023, FBI agents interviewed Ray at his El Paso residence. He allegedly admitted to sending the threats to the woman and her family. He admitted threatening to shoot up a mall but said he only said it to provoke the victim to respond to him because he missed her.

“Agents directed Ray to cease all threatening communications and he agreed,” the complaint stated.

Courts: El Paso man pleads guilty to assaulting police in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

On May 19, the victim contacted the FBI to advise them that Ray had resumed the messaging, sending her a couple of hundred messages via Facebook and Instagram in the span of a few days.

On June 23, FBI agents visited Ray for a second time at his home. He admitted to creating fake social media accounts to contact the woman and her family and sending thousands of messages. Ray again agreed to stop communicating with the woman, the complaint stated.

More: Chalk, love and kindness: Messages raise awareness of teen dating violence in El Paso

But a few days later, Ray allegedly continued sending messages, with agents estimating that he had sent about 200 emails since June 28.

On July 26, Ray emailed the woman to tell her that he was going to kill himself on Aug. 13. In a later email sent that day, Ray stated, “I am feeling an anger I can only describe as bloodthirsty . . . I am going to kill myself.”

FBI agents arrested Ray on Aug. 2 on federal interstate communications cyberstalking charges. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso cyberstalker harassed ex-girlfriend, threatened mass shooting