A New York man is behind bars for threatening to kill a congressional staff member and making more than 12,000 harassing calls to dozens of members.
According to a report from The Hill, Ade Salim Lilly, 35, was given a 13-month prison sentence and 36 months of release in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
According to the report, Lilly pled guilty in May to threatening to kidnap or injure someone on interstate commerce and repeated harassing telephone calls.
He allegedly made more than 12,000 telephone calls to about 54 members of Congress across the nation, both to their state and D.C. offices, from February 2022 to November 2023, according to court documents cited in the report.
While on the calls with staff members, Lilly “would become angry and use vulgar and harassing language” toward them, per court filings. Staff repeatedly asked him to refrain from calling, and the U.S. Capitol Police also informed him that his phone calls were unwanted and prohibited by law as they were harassing in nature.
In one call in October 2022 to a Maryland congressional office, Lilly allegedly told a staffer, ” “I will kill you, I am going to run you over, I will kill you with a bomb or grenade.”
Prosecutors in the case said Lilly was able to hide his phone number, using “*67”.
Following an investigation by Capitol Police and the U.S. Marshall’s Service, Lilly was indicted, and agents were sent to arrest him in Puerto Rico in November 2023.
“We will enforce the law anytime someone crosses the line — from free speech to harassment or threats,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said in a statement. “Our investigators worked to build this complicated case for years, which shows their dedication to protect the Members of Congress.”