A New York man was sentenced Tuesday for making more than 12,000 harassing phone calls to members of Congress and threatening to kill a congressional staffer.
Ade Salim Lilly, who pleaded guilty in May to making repeated phone calls and interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, said he was “apologetic and remorseful,” but also argued his motivations were good.
“My intention was solely to better the future of the descendants of the founders of the United States, and serving our young people and families and future generations,” the 35-year-old said in court. “I will find alternative methods to address issues I believe need to be addressed.”
According to court documents, beginning in February 2022 and continuing until his arrest in Puerto Rico in November 2023, Lilly made thousands of telephone calls to about 54 congressional offices across the country, with about half of the calls placed to offices in D.C.
Lilly placed the calls while he was in Maryland or Puerto Rico, and most were answered by congressional staff members or interns, prosecutors said. Lilly became angry and used vulgar and harassing language in the calls, and in at least one call, he threatened to kill or injure the person with whom he was speaking, according to court papers.
Staffers and Capitol Police repeatedly asked him to stop calling and warned that his unwanted calls were harassing and barred by law, but Lilly kept doing so and masked his phone number, prosecutors said.
“I will kill you, I am going to run you over, I will kill you with a bomb or grenade,” prosecutors said Lilly told an aide in a call to an office in D.C. on Oct. 21, 2022. (The Washington Post)
“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.”
In April, Capitol Police hired prosecutors dedicated to tackling the rising threats against lawmakers.
