A Pennsylvania man previously arrested for impersonating Donald Trump’s family members in fraud scheme pleaded guilty on Friday to threatening to kill a member of Congress and his staff.
According to the Justice Department, Joshua Hall, 22, threatened to kill at least three congressional staffers and “beat the s**t” out of the congressman, claiming he had several AR-15s.
California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell told CNN the threats were aimed at him and his office.
“Joshua Hall made terrifying threats to the staff of a United States Congressman whom he disliked rather than attempting to effect change through any of the freedoms of expression that all Americans enjoy,” US Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York said in a statement. “These threats of violence endanger our public officials and thwart common decency.”
According to the Justice Department, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of making interstate communications with a threat to injure, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Hall, prosecutors said, previously had pleaded guilty to wire fraud for impersonating Trump’s family members on social media to raise money for a fake political organization he used to defraud donors and pocket the money for himself.