Florida man sentenced for threatening to kill member of Congress and their children, DOJ says
MIAMI — A Florida man was sentenced this week for leaving voicemail messages threatening to kill a member of Congress and their children, the Department of Justice announced.
Michael Shapiro, 73, was arrested at his home on Jan. 3 and pleaded guilty to the indictment charging him with transmitting threatening communications. He was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison during a hearing in Fort Lauderdale.
On Dec. 19, 2023, Shapiro called and left five voicemails at a U.S. congressional office in Washington, D.C., from his home in Greenacres, which is about 70 miles north of Miami, court records stated.
In three of these messages, he threatened to kill the congressperson and their children. Specifically, Shapiro said "I'm gonna come after you and kill you [expletive]" in one call and "I'm gonna come and kill your children you mother-[expletive]. I'm gonna kill your children."
The DOJ did not share which congressional member he called and threatened.