Florida man takes plea deal for threats against Swalwell, family

A Florida man is set to be sentenced later this summer after admitting in federal court to leaving threatening voicemails at the congressional office of Tri-Valley Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Michael Shapiro of Greenacres, Fla., pleaded guilty last month as part of a plea deal to resolve the case stemming from his arrest in January on charges of threatening a member of U.S. Congress. While the public statements and charging documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida do not name the targeted representative, Swalwell has confirmed that the case involved him and other court records refer to purported threats that cite background tied to the local congressman.

“I send my sincerest gratitude to the Department of Justice for holding a violent person accountable and in turn protecting my family and staff,” Swalwell (D-Livermore) told the Weekly in a statement released by his office. 

“MAGAism has created an environment that rewards violence and intimidation,” he added. “We must continue to make them realize that this has consequences. They aim to silence critics of Donald Trump by any means necessary. These threats do not intimate me and will not keep me from serving my constituents. I am not going anywhere.”

Attempts to contact Shapiro’s federal public defender Kristy Militello were unsuccessful. The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment, citing its policy not to speak on active cases.

The investigation began after a man called Swalwell’s office in Washington, D.C. five times on Dec. 19, 2023 and left profanity- and slur-laden voicemails threatening the congressman and vowing “I’m gonna kill your children,” according to a factual proffer document filed in federal court as part of Shapiro’s change of plea to guilty on May 17. 

Shapiro, 72 at the time, admitted he told investigators after his arrest on Jan. 3 that he remembered leaving one voicemail at the congressman’s office while drunk that said “Fang Fang you screwed the Chinese spy” but denied in the interview that he made any direct threats, according to the court document. 

“When asked about transcribed statements from the voice mails about killing the Congressperson and his children, and whether someone could feel threatened, the defendant stated ‘absolutely’. However, he stated that he never had any intention to harm,” according to the factual proffer signed by Shapiro. “He asked agents to let the Congressperson know ‘that I have regrets if I hurt his family.'”

Shapiro is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge David S. Leibowitz in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 7. 

It would mark the second time since 2022 that a man from another state was convicted of threatening the high-profile Tri-Valley Democrat. Pennsylvania resident Joshua Hall, 24 at the time, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for making threatening calls to Swalwell. 

Shapiro’s arrest also came the same month as national news outlets reported on unearthed comments allegedly said by conservative political figure Roger Stone calling for the assassination of Swalwell in 2020. U.S. Capitol Police reportedly launched an investigation after the headlines broke in January.