SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 73-year-old Venice man was found guilty of making threatening calls to members of Congress from his home on multiple occasions.
According to evidence presented at trial, Frank Pezzuto made three threatening phone calls to select congressional offices in Washington, D.C. from late January to early February.
The first call was recorded on Jan. 25, 2020, in which Pezzuto left a voice message at a Congressman E.S.’s* office saying he was on his way to kill them.
During the second call on Jan. 30, 2020, Pezzuto left a voicemail at Congressman A.S.’s* office claiming he was a worker for MS-13, an international gang, and that the gang was coming to cut A.S.’s head off.
During the third call 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.”
Authorities say Pezzuto made each threatening call from his home using a cell phone but concealed the phone number. Documents show U.S. Capitol Police were able to identify Pezzuto as the caller by confirming the calls had been routed through a cell tower near Pezzuto’s home in Florida.
As a result, Pezzuto was found guilty of transmitting in interstate commerce three separate threatening communications to injure certain members of Congress. Pezzuto faces a maximum of five years in federal prison.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
* The Middle District of Florida did not provide 8 On Your Side with full names of the congressmen and congresswomen.