CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man was arrested Tuesday on a federal criminal charge for allegedly threatening to commit violence at the upcoming presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Louis Capriotti, 45, of Chicago Heights, Ill., 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.
In a Dec. 29, 2020, voicemail for a U.S. House member from New Jersey, Capriotti allegedly stated that if certain individuals “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 further stated in the voicemail, “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.
“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.”
