Illinois Man Accused Of Threatening Inauguration Violence

CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago man accused of threatening to take the lives of President-elect Joe Biden and other Democrats at the upcoming inauguration in Washington, D.C., has been arrested, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago said in a news release that Louis Capriotti of Chicago Heights faces a federal charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and is scheduled to make a court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.

Prosecutors said Capriotti, 45, is accused of leaving a threatening voicemail for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 29. The message said 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.”

He continued, “We will surround the (expletive) White House and we will kill any (expletive) Democrat that steps on the (expletive) lawn,” according to the release.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said Capriotti has a history of leaving profane voicemails for members of Congress.

The call was made several days before a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters smashed their way into the U.S. Capitol building. Five people, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, died in the Jan. 6 assault on Washington. Dozens of people have been arrested in the attack, which temporarily halted congressional business to confirm Biden as president.