MIAMI – A 72-year-old man from Greenacres, Florida was arrested this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with threatening to kill a U.S. Congressperson and the Congressperson’s children.
According to the complaint, on December 19, 2023, Michael Shapiro left five voicemail messages for a U.S. Congressperson at the Congressperson’s congressional office in Washington, D.C. In one of the messages, Shapiro stated that he was going to “come after you and kill you …” In another message, he stated that he was going to “come and kill your children …” Shapiro allegedly placed the threatening calls from his home in Greenacres. The complaint further alleges that Shapiro pleaded guilty in federal court in 2019 for making threatening communications to another victim.
Shapiro made his initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart for the Southern District of Florida.
Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Roger B. Handberg, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), made the announcement.
The USCP is investigating the case, with assistance from USCP’s Tampa Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto for the Southern District of Florida and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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