Hamburg Man Charged with Threatening Charlie Specht

Charlie Specht
Photo credit WBEN Photo
Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Federal prosecutors say an adjunct professor at Christ the King Seminary has been arrested and charged with cyberstalking. Prosecutors say 62 year old Paul Lubienecki, 62, of Hamburg, threatened to kill a TV reporter. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango says on February 4th a member of the local media received a voicemail that contained a death threat. The victim has been reporting on the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo clergy sex abuse scandal for the past two years, and on that day, the Victim reported that Christ the King Seminary was being closed by the Diocese.

WBEN has confirmed the victim in the case is WKBW Investigative Reporter Charlie Specht. Lubienecki is an adjunct professor at Christ the King Seminary.

According to the complaint, the caller criticized Specht's professionalism before stating, “...I know where you live in [town]. I'm going to find you. I'm going to kill you.” The complaint further states that Specht received other harassing voicemails from a number associated with the defendant during August, November, and December of 2019. All told, 11 harassing phone calls were made from the phone number associated with Lubienecki to Specht. 

Lubienecki made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.