Feds Charge Torrington Man With Threatening Rep. Adam Schiff

TORRINGTON, CT — A Torrington man has been charged by federal criminal complaint with threatening to murder U.S. Representative Adam Schiff of California.

Schiff's office received a threatening communication through a Meeting Request entry form on his official website from Robert M. Phelps, 62. The form included the statement "…I want to kill you with my bare hands and smash your …face in," according to court documents. In addition, in response to the preferred days of the week for the meeting request, Phelps allegedly wrote "Measure your Coffin day."

Investigators interviewed Phelps at his Torrington residence and confirmed that he sent the threatening communication, according to a joint press release from the U.S. Attorney General's for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The complaint charges Phelps with threatening to assault and murder a U.S. official, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and with making interstate threats, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

Phelps was arrested on March 13. Following his arrest, he appeared before Bridgeport Superior Court and was released on a $25,000 bond.