Feds arrest California man who threatened to kill Washington Congressman McDermott

2011-01-13 11:20:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- A 32-year-old Palm Springs, California man was arrested on Wednesday morning after being charged with making death threats against Washington Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott, prosecutors said.

Charles Turner Habermann is accused of making two expletive-laden, threatening phone calls to the Seattle office of McDermott on December 9 over his views on tax cuts and unemployment insurance. In one of the calls, Habermann allegedly threatened to kill McDermott and his friends and family.

"[McDermott] advocates stealing people's money to give it to losers. That's a criminal conspiracy to commit fraud, okay," Habermann said in his first voicemail message on December 9 at around 12 a.m. local time. "That is what the majority of the democratic party engage in every day of every week of every f[explicit] year because they're scum backs."

Habermann went on to say that he would kill McDermott and his family and friends while - in a second call at 12.10 a.m. local time - he said he would hire someone to kill the Congressman.

The suspect, who was charged by federal criminal complaint with threatening a federal official, was interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on December 10 regarding the calls to McDermott as well as another threatening call made to an unidentified Congresswoman. Habermann confessed to making the calls.

"We are blessed to live in a country that guarantees and protects the freedom to disagree with our government and speak our minds. That protection, however, does not extend to threats or acts of violence," said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. "Those actions are intended to silence debate, not further it. They instill fear not just in the immediate victims, but in many who might hold the same views or take the same course. Such threats are crimes, and the individuals who make them must be held accountable.

Previously, Habermann was investigated in March 2010 for similar conduct involving threats to a California Assembly Person. In that instance, Habermann went to the Assembly Person’s office to discuss the health care bill and was escorted out. Following the office meeting, Habermann left two threatening voicemail messages.

Habermann was interviewed by the California Highway Patrol, and was issued a warning about his threatening conduct.

Threatening a federal official is punishable by up to ten years in prison and Habermann made his initial court appearance in Riverside, California federal court on Wednesday.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-13

busy day for US world news

Another nutcase whose flames were fanned by right-wing radio and Fox News.

Probably just like the last one who turned out to be a "left-wing pot-smoker" according to those who know him.