Joseph F. Morelli Pleads Guilty to Threatening Congress Member

Joseph F. Morelli, 51, of Endicott, New York, admitted in federal court today to making a series of violent, interstate threats against a member of the U.S. House of Representatives — voicemails so extreme they triggered an immediate FBI and U.S. Capitol Police investigation.

Morelli placed three separate threatening phone calls on March 3, 2022, from his home in Endicott to the Washington, D.C. office of the congressional official. In the first, he said, “I’m gonna have to take your life into my own hands… I’m gonna hurt you. Physically, I’m gonna harm you.” The messages escalated quickly, with Morelli vowing to “show you, to your face, right up front, what violence truly is” and offering to pay “500 bucks to take a baseball bat and crack your skull.”

The third voicemail left no ambiguity: “I’m gonna have to hurt you physically. … I’m gonna make sure that, even if they lock me up, someone’s gonna get you ‘cause I’ll pay them to.” The threats were recorded, preserved, and traced back to Morelli’s phone line through federal forensic analysis.

Morelli pleaded guilty in Syracuse, New York, to making interstate threats against a federal official — a felony under U.S. law. He faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when sentenced on June 1, 2023. A federal judge will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the severity of the threats, and Morelli’s criminal history in determining the final penalty.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Capitol Police, agencies increasingly on high alert for threats against elected officials. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick is prosecuting the case, underscoring the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on political violence.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office, confirmed the plea. “Threats like these will not be ignored,” Freedman said. “No one should have to fear for their life simply for serving in public office.”