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A Florida man is facing prison time after making threatening phone calls to several members of Congress, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, Frank Anthony Pezzuto (73, Venice) made three threatening phone calls from his home in Venice, Florida to certain congressional offices in Washington, D.C.
The first call took place on January 25, 2020, when Pezzuto left a voicemail at U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-California) office and left the message: “Hello Mr. Swalwell, I’m coming to kill you.”
Pezzuto subsequently left a voicemail at U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) saying, “Hola, I am a worker for MS-13. We’re coming for Adam Schiff tonight. We’re gonna cut his head off.”
Then, on February 3, 2020, Pezzuto called the office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and told the person who answered the phone: “Tell her I’m going to kill her today.”
Each time Pezzuto made these threatening calls, he used his cellphone but concealed his phone number.
United States Capitol Police were able to identify Pezzuto as the caller and confirm that the calls had been routed through a cell tower near Pezzuto’s home in Florida.
Rep. Omar tweeted about the case after the guilty verdict was announced.
“The use of violent rhetoric in political speech is incitement & is definitely creating an environment where members of Congress are receiving constant death threats. Enough!” Omar tweeted. “Today, Florida man who left this chilling message with my staff was convicted.”
The use of violent rhetoric in political speech is incitement & is definitely creating an environment where members of Congress are receiving constant death threats. Enough!
Today, Florida man who left this chilling message with my staff was convicted. https://t.co/nIkHng1eWO
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 11, 2021
Rep. Swalwell thanked the prosecution team at the Department of Justice Criminal Division for the conviction.
“Thank you to prosecution team at @DOJCrimDiv for convicting Anthony Pezzuto, who threatened to kill me & 2 of my colleagues,” Swalwell said. “Too many people today are choosing violence over voting to enact political change. We must hold all to account.”
Thank you to prosecution team at @DOJCrimDiv for convicting Anthony Pezzuto, who threatened to kill me & 2 of my colleagues. Too many people today are choosing violence over voting to enact political change. We must hold all to account. https://t.co/ipka98PUSu
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 10, 2021
Pezzuto was found guilty of “transmitting in interstate commerce three separate threatening communications to injure certain members of Congress.” He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
