Tampa, Florida - A federal jury has found Frank Anthony Pezzuto (73, Venice) guilty of transmitting in interstate commerce three separate threatening communications to injure certain members of Congress. Pezzuto faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Pezzuto had been indicted on Sept. 22, 2020.
According to evidence presented at trial, Pezzuto made three threatening phone calls from his home in Venice, Florida to certain congressional offices in Washington, D.C. The first call took place on Jan. 25, 2020, when Pezzuto left a voicemail at Congressman E.S.’s office in which he said that he was coming to kill E.S. Pezzuto subsequently left a voicemail at Congressman A.S.’s office on Jan. 30, 2020, stating that he was a worker for MS-13 and that MS-13 was coming to cut off A.S.’s head. Then, on Feb. 3, 2020, Pezzuto called Congresswoman I.O.’s office and stated to the person who answered the phone: “tell her I’m going to kill her today."
Each time Pezzuto made these threatening calls, he used his cellphone but concealed his phone number. United States Capitol Police were able to identify Pezzuto as the caller and confirm that the calls had been routed through a cell tower near Pezzuto’s home in Florida.
This case was investigated by United States Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Scruggs and Risha Asokan.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
