Man gets 2 years in prison for threatening emergency dispatch, tying up phone lines
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A 35-year-old man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for threatening emergency dispatch personnel and tying up dispatch phone lines for three hours in early 2021.
According to the Department of Justice, Jonathan Munafo placed approximately 143 calls to the Calhoun County Sheriff's dispatch center on January 5, 2021 demanding to speak to a sheriff's deputy or sergeant. Munafo identified himself only as "Yankee Patriot" and aggressively berated the dispatcher. When her supervisor took over the conversation, Munafo said, "Put a ... cop on the on the phone now ... or it's going to go way worse for your family." He added, "I'm telling you, this isn't a ... threat, it's a promise. ... I'm gonna cut your throat. I'm gonna make you eat your ... nose. I'm gonna hurt you bad for this."
Calhoun County is located about two hours west of Detroit.
Munafo, of Winter Park, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff to 24 months in prison and three years' supervised release.
Calhoun County Sheriff's Office and FBI investigators determined that Munafo placed the call from a truck stop in North Carolina. The next day (January 6, 2021), Munafo allegedly participated in the assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Munafo has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. for multiple offenses, including assaulting a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
