Chicago Heights Man Threatens To Kill Dems At Inauguration: Feds

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — A Chicago Heights resident was arrested Tuesday on a federal criminal charge and accused of threatening to commit violence — namely, threatening to kill Democrats — at the upcoming presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., according to the U.S Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

Louis Capriotti, 45, is charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Capriotti was arrested near his home Tuesday morning and was scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes, the attorney's office said.

The attorney's office said Capriotti made threats in a Dec. 29 voicemail sent to a U.S. House member from New Jersey. In the voicemail, authorities say Capriotti said that if people "think that Joe Biden is going to put his hand on the Bible and walk into that [expletive] White House on January 20th, they’re sadly [expletive] mistaken." Capriotti went on, "We will surround the [expletive] White House and we will kill any [expletive] Democrat that steps on the [expletive] lawn," the complaint alleges.

According to the complaint, Capriotti has a history of leaving profane voicemails for members of Congress, the attorney's office said.

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The complaint and arrest were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Christopher Diiorio, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. The U.S. Capitol Police assisted with the investigation.

"Our office takes the security of our public servants very seriously," said U.S. Attorney Lausch. "Individuals who cross the line of free speech by making unlawful threats will be held accountable."