Local lawyer arrested, accused of making death threats against Tarrant County commissioner
A 27-year-old Fort Worth attorney has been arrested after he was accused of making death threats against Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, officials said.
Dylan Lofton was taken into custody by the Fort Worth Police Department’s Homeland Security Unit on Friday, March 21. He is charged with terroristic threat against a peace officer/judge, according to court records.
According to a news release from Ramirez’s office, the suspect “issued repeated threats to kill Commissioner Ramirez, lacing the threats with multiple racial slurs.”
The threatening voicemails were left on Ramirez’s business phone on March 19, investigators said. The Homeland Security Unit identified the suspect, and a probable cause warrant was issued for Lofton on Friday, police said. He was taken into custody without incident.
Ramirez, the Precinct 4 commissioner, said in the release that he’s grateful for police acting quickly to secure the safety of his family.
“Threatening the lives of those we disagree with, especially through racially charged language, is reprehensible and has no place in civil society,” Ramirez said. “I hope this serves as a wake-up call to anyone who thinks that such language and threats are acceptable in our political culture.”
Lofton served as a precinct chair coordinator for the Tarrant County Democratic Party in 2017. Chair Crystal Gayden said in a post on X on Tuesday, March 25, that Lofton hasn’t been affiliated with the party’s office since 2019.
“Threats of violence have no place in our community, and we strongly condemn any form of political intimidation,” Gayden said. “Our thoughts are with Commissioner Ramirez and all those impacted.”
It’s not clear what motivated the threatening messages.
Lofton is eligible to practice law in Texas, according to the State Bar of Texas website. A bar spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that there’s currently no record of any public discipline against Lofton.
Fort Worth police and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the incident, according to the release from Ramirez’s office.
Court records show that Lofton is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $100,000 bond. There was no defense attorney listed for him as of Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 11:33 AM.
