Authorities say a 28-year-old Syracuse man has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a U.S. congressman and his family over net neutrality.
The U.S. District Attorney's Office says Patrick Angelo of Syracuse has pleaded guilty in federal court in Buffalo and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced on June 21.
Officials say Angelo called the Washington, D.C. office of Republican Rep. John Katko in October and left a voicemail threatening to kill Katko and his family if he did not support net neutrality. As a result, security surrounding Katko was increased.
“While citizens are certainly entitled to communicate their views on issues of importance to them to their elected officials, there are and must be bounds to the manner in which such views may be expressed," said U.S. Attorney James Kennedy. "As today’s plea makes clear, defendant overstepped those bounds."
Katko represents New York's 24th District in the Syracuse area.