(USNewsBreak.com) – Political tensions have been high in the United States, and there have been ongoing concerns in recent years about threats and harassment against lawmakers and other political figures. A man recently pleaded guilty in a case involving thousands of phone calls to congressional offices and a threat to a congressional staff member.
Ade Salim Lilly was arrested on November 14, 2023, in Puerto Rico after authorities traced calls he made to congressional offices back to him. Lilly reportedly didn’t target any specific lawmaker or party but instead phoned offices around the country and in DC.
He made the majority of the calls, more than 6,500, to DC offices. During two days in February 2023, he reportedly called a single “congressional representative more than 500 times.” At one point, he apparently threatened to kill a congressional staffer over the phone. The phone calls began around February 2022 and continued until November 2023. During this time, US Capitol police informed the suspect that the law prohibited his behavior. The congressional staff members also repeatedly asked him to stop calling.
Federal prosecutors indicted and charged Lilly with a single count each of making repeated telephone calls and interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure. He could face up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge. The latter charge potentially carries a $250,000 penalty and up to five years in prison. On Thursday, May 30, Lilly pleaded guilty to the charges.
In a statement issued after the guilty plea, US Attorney Matthew M. Graves said, “Threatening another person’s safety or life is a crime,” and the First Amendment doesn’t protect criminal behavior. A court has scheduled Lilly for sentencing on August 28.
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