Law enforcement across multiple states worked together to stop an illegally armed man in an investigation preceded by months of detailed, graphic death threats directed at an ex-girlfriend.

Federal charges of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon filed Monday in Minnesota against 35-year-old Shaninth Michael Ray detail a harrowing few months of threats aimed at the woman, her family, and even her manager and the manager's son.

Ray was arrested in Austin, Minn., in October by police in that city and with help from a detective based in the ex-girlfriend's home city in Iowa. According to charges, police found a Taurus .22 caliber revolver in Ray's truck — the same firearm he allegedly flashed in videos sent to the woman and her sister with its serial number legible in the messages.

Ray has four prior felony convictions between 2011 to 2016 in Minnesota — three of which were for violating domestic abuse no contact orders — that prevent him from possessing a firearm.

According to an affidavit from an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attached to this week's complaint, Ray was served a no-contact order in June 2022. That order followed reports from the woman that accused Ray of hitting her, breaking her hands and ribs, burning her with a lighter, smothering her with a pillow and a throwing a brick at her head during their relationship.

But since the order, Ray did not relent, according to charges. He ramped up threats and harassment of the woman and her family, called her workplace and went to the home of her manager and harassed the manager's teenage son.

The threats continued deep into this year, including promises to "bash her face in with a rock" if she left her home. He also threatened to shoot her boyfriend, kill her in front of her son and leave her severed head on her father's porch.

The woman told officers that the messages were coming in "continually, every few days," according to the complaint. She reported the threatening texts to police in Iowa, and Ray admitted to officers that he sent them. Ray told Iowa police that he was in Arizona. But officers, concerned that he planned to harm or kill the woman, obtained an emergency phone location ping for 48 hours. Officers instead traced Ray's location near Gary, Ind.

During that time, in August 2023, Ray allegedly called the woman from a blocked phone number more than 50 times and sent video of a Taurus .22 caliber revolver with its serial number legible in the video.

He sent a video of the same firearm to the woman's sister, also depicting ammunition, gloves and a knife — and sent texts indicating that he wanted his ex dead.

Law enforcement continued to track Ray to Chicago and monitored his location through early October. The U.S. Marshals Service and Austin Police Department arrested Ray on Oct. 4 in Austin, Minn., while he drove with his current girlfriend.

After being booked into jail, Ray told police that he had been in Indiana trying to set up a trucking company and that he had no other ties to Iowa other than his relationship with his ex. He admitted to sending threats to scare or "provoke a response from her."

Ray did not yet have an attorney listed for him as of Tuesday afternoon. Iowa court records show he also has open cases alleging harassment, stalking, assault and violation of a protective order.