'I'm gonna kill your children': South Florida man threatened U.S. Rep. and his family

Julius Whigham II, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·2 min read
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PALM BEACH −A South Florida man is facing federal charges after authorities alleged he left a series of threatening voicemails last month at the Washington, D.C., office of a U.S. congressman.

Michael Shapiro, 72, of Greenacres, was arrested Wednesday morning on one count of knowingly transmitting a threat of violence.

Greenacres is a city in Palm Beach County on the state's east coast.

During a court hearing Wednesday in West Palm Beach, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart set Shapiro's bond at $250,000 and ordered, among other conditions, Shapiro surrender his passport, have no contact with the alleged victims and participate in a mental-health assessment.

Shapiro was appointed an attorney from the federal public defender's office, court records show. He is due back in court to be arraigned on Jan. 24.

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Affidavit: Threats made against congress member's children

According to a complaint by the U.S. Capitol Police, Shapiro on the evening of Dec. 19, left a series of five voicemails at the main office line of a U.S. Congress member. Investigators say the messages made several references to the Congress member's purported relationship with a Chinese spy.

The complaint did not identify the Congress member by name. However, multiple published reports identified the Congress member as U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California. The House Ethics Committee in May ended a two-year investigation of Swalwell over allegations that he had ties to suspected Chinese operative Christine Fang.

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, was one of three U.S. Representatives threatened by Anthony Pezzuto, who was found guilty by a federal jury of making calls to three separate members of Congress in early 2020.
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, was one of three U.S. Representatives threatened by Anthony Pezzuto, who was found guilty by a federal jury of making calls to three separate members of Congress in early 2020.

'No place in America for threats'

The report indicates Shapiro repeatedly mentioned Fang by last name in his voicemails.

“There is no place in America for threats of political violence,” Swalwell said in a statement reported by NBC News. “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.”

According to the federal complaint, Shapiro in one message threatened that he was going to "come after you and kill you." In another, Shapiro reportedly threatened that he was going to "come and kill your children." Investigators say they traced the phone number that the messages came from to a Greenacres residence associated with Shapiro.

Capitol police say Shapiro was linked to three previous cases involving threats, pleading guilty in a 2019 case involving another victim.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund with USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida man accused of threatening U.S. congressman and his children