Endicott man faces federal charges for alleged threats to U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
An Endicott man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly making several threats against U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia.
Joseph Francis Morelli, 50, of 118 Oak Hill Road, Endicott, was taken into custody Wednesday morning after FBI agents, assisted by Endicott Police, raided an apartment on the Northside of Endicott to take him into custody without incident.
Morelli was charged with transmitting interstate threatening communications, according to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI. He is currently in Broome County Jail awaiting a detention hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.
A criminal complaint filed in the case by police alleges Morelli transmitted several interstate communications containing threats to Greene. The information was provided to the FBI by the United States Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section and Greene’s office.
On March 3 and March 7, at about 11:11 p.m., Morelli called the Washington, D.C., office of Greene and left threatening voicemail messages threatening to harm Greene, according to Capitol Police.
"Yeah, I just don't think I can go on letting you, you know, cause hatred and poison to people,” said Morelli in one message. “I really think I'm gonna have to cause you harm -- physical harm. You're putting commercials where you blow up a car, and you just ... You’re just a horrible person.”
Later in the voice message, Morelli allegedly encouraged Greene to file charges against him.
“You know, you can file charges, and we can go to court,” he said in the message. “I can tell them what a **** you are and how bad you are for humanity. You’re a pile of ****, and if you keep up with this hatred and people get hurt, I'm gonna hurt you. Physically, I’m gonna harm you. Okay, scum bag?"
During a second voice message, police claim Morelli provided his name, that he lived in the Binghamton area and his phone number
According to the criminal complaint, Morelli also threatened to harm law enforcement if they responded to the threats.
Greene has drawn controversy since being sworn into office in January 2021. Her personal Twitter account was permanently suspended after the company said she had violated its COVID-19 misinformation policies.
The charges in many ways echo another Southern Tier case from a few years prior.
A Steuben County man, Patrick W. Carlineo Jr., of Addison, was taken into custody in April 2019 after federal authorities alleged he made death threats against U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Carlineo later pleaded guilty to threatening to assault and murder a United States official, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
He was sentenced in March 2020 to one year in federal prison plus one day.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Endicott man charged in alleged threats to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
