Chicago Heights man held without bond after allegedly threatening to 'kill' Democrats, prevent Biden inauguration
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The ABC7 I-Team has obtained a recording of what federal authorities call explicit threats to kill Democrats including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and others at the White House, allegedly made by a Chicago Heights man now in custody.
Louis Capriotti, 45, from Chicago Heights is accused of threatening a slaughter coinciding with Wednesday's presidential inauguration in a vile voicemail left on a member of Congress's phone.
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In the voicemail, prosecutors allege Capriotti said, "if these (expletive) Republicans and these Democrat (expletive) terrorists 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."
FBI agents say in late December, Capriotti left that threatening voicemail for a member of Congress from New Jersey. Investigators say he had been menacing members of Congress for years, but his most disturbing threat was about a week before violent extremists actually did attack the U.S. Capitol. A week after the Capitol mob assault, Capriotti was arrested with some urgency and has been held at the federal lock-up in Chicago ever since.
The voicemail, played by prosecutors during a detention hearing in Chicago and obtained by the I-Team, reveals talk of a chilling White House plot against the nation's highest ranking newly installed officials.
In the voicemail, Capriotti is allegedly heard saying, "we will surround the (expletive) White House and we will kill any (expletive) Democrat that steps on the (expletive) lawn."
In court Wednesday afternoon, Chicago District Judge Gabriel Fuentes ordered Capriotti held without bond, saying no release conditions would ensure public safety.
Jack Corfman, Capriotti's attorney, told the court that prosecutors have only words and no evidence of any intent to act on them. Capriotti actually had no guns, according to his attorney, nor did he have plans to travel to the Capitol. But, in denying bond, Judge Fuentes said making a "threat like that, that in itself is a harm."
"Threats hurt people. They terrorize people, they make people afraid!" said Judge Fuentes.
