Federal authorities have arrested a Philadelphia man and charged him with threatening to kill House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and his family.
Norman Leboon will be charged with two federal counts: threatening to kill a member of Congress and interfering with his federal duties, and posting video online containing such threats. He is scheduled to appear in federal district court in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon.
The arrest is the most serious in a string of threats of violence against lawmakers in wake of the divisive health care vote. At least 10 Democrats along with a handful of Republicans, including Cantor, reported threats of violence during the past week.
“At this time, the congressman will have no further comment on this threat or the investigation, and asks that inquiries be directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring said. “The congressman is deeply grateful for, and would like to dearly thank all local and federal law enforcement involved, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office[s] in Virginia and Philadelphia, U.S. Capitol Police and the Henrico Police Department in Virginia.”
In a video posted on YouTube, Leboon said Cantor was a "liar, you're a Lucifer, you're a pig, a greedy [expletive] pig." He also seemed to refer to a bullet found in Cantor’s office last week and said it will be placed in his head. Richmond Police had originally discounted the bullet as a stray. It is unclear whether the FBI will expand the investigation into the Richmond bullet.
Leboon faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of both charges.
According to an FBI affidavit, the investigation moved swiftly. On March 26, the FBI’s San Francisco office got a copy of a YouTube video in which Leboon allegedly made threats to kill Cantor and his “cupcake evil wife.”
Leboon’s video also makes reference to Cantor’s Judaism – Cantor last week said he has received anti-Semitic threats in the past.
“Remember Eric at our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given,” according to a transcript of the video in the affidavit. “…You’re an abomination, you receive my bullets in your office, remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abomination.”
Google, the owner of YouTube, provided the FBI with the IP address of the person who submitted the video and found it to be in Philadelphia.
Police had a warrant to arrest Leboon on separate charges of terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Leboon was arrested March 27 and told the FBI that he used his cell phone video camera to make the video. He also admitted, according to the affidavit, that he had made more than 2,000 threatening videos.
He told the FBI, according to the affidavit, that he is the “son of the god of Enoch” and further said Cantor is “pure evil” and will be dead.
Leboon does not appear to be particularly politically active, but he does appear to have donated to President Barack Obama. On back-to-back days in June 2008, a man who called himself “Norman Leboon Sr” from Philadelphia gave $255 and $250 to Obama for America. The Democratic National Committee will donate $505 to charity if it was the same man that threatened Cantor. The DNC condemned the threats to Cantor and his family.
"We strongly condemn such threats and believe they should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Hari Sevugan, DNC spokesman.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35152.html#ixzz0jbHpLwCJ
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