A Palm Beach County man was arrested this week after federal officers say he threatened to kill U.S House Rep. Eric Swalwell and his household, officers say.
Michael Shapiro, 72, of Greenacres, is charged with making an interstate threatening communication after he left 5 threatening voicemails on the consultant’s D.C workplace in late December, in keeping with a legal criticism.
The criticism didn’t title Swalwell, a California consultant who ran for president in 2020. His identification was confirmed by his workplace.
“There is no place in America for threats of political violence,” Swalwell mentioned in an announcement. “We must always resolve our differences at the ballot box. While I will continue to protect my family and staff, these continued threats will never stop me from representing my constituents.”
U.S Capitol Police investigated the case, utilizing cellphone data to hyperlink the messages to Shapiro and his house in Greenacres, in keeping with the criticism.
“Hey greaseball,” one message started. ” … I’m gonna come and kill your youngsters you mom ******. I’m gonna kill your youngsters.”
“I’m gonna come after you and kill you,” one other mentioned.
In a number of messages, Shapiro known as Swalwell a “Chinese spy,” presumably in reference to allegations reported by Axios in 2020 {that a} suspected Chinese spy often called Fang Fang focused him and different up-and-coming California politicians.
One message merely repeated the phrase “Fang” again and again.
Swalwell’s workplace informed Axios on the time that he supplied details about Fang to the FBI and wouldn’t take part within the story “to protect information that might be classified.”
Shapiro is a suspect in three earlier risk circumstances, in keeping with the criticism, together with one from 2019 during which he pleaded responsible.
He had his first look Wednesday morning in Miami earlier than U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart for the Southern District of Florida.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”