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Tamarac Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threatening Calls To Washington Lawmakers

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A Tamarac man accused of threatening three Washington lawmakers is facing up to five years in prison when he's sentenced this August.

Tuesday in federal court, John Kless, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of Making Threatening Communications.

According to Federal investigators, Kless left threatening voicemails for three Democrats: Congressman Eric Swalwell of California, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Prosecutors say the message to Swallwell said, "The day you come after our guns, (expletive), is the day you'll be dead. Along with everybody in the (expletive) government, (expletive). You want war (expletive) Keep talking like that."

Kless reportedly went on to say the Swalwell and the Democrats didn't care about 9/11, migrants coming into the country, and African-Americans taking advantage of welfare.

"You're gonna die, don't wanna, don't do that (expletive), boy. You'll be your death bed (expletive), along with all the rest of you Democrats. So if you want death, keep that (expletive) up, (expletive)."

Kless then called the office of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim and, according to the criminal complaint, said, "Tell your Taliban friend (Rep. Ilhan Omar) to shut the (expletive) up about 9/11, this ain't Trump's fault, bitch, it's all your people's fault. You're the (expletive) who drove the planes into the buildings."

"You know what, she's getting death threats. So are you, alright? You're lucky they're just threats. (Expletive) 'Cuz the day when the bell tolls, whore, and this country comes to a war, there will be no more threats. Your life will be on the (expletive) line. All of you. There's people like me out there, millions and millions of us who hate you (expletives), man, for what you done on 9/11."

The third call went to the office of Senator Corey Booker, from New Jersey, and it focused on race.

"Yeah I got a comment for you, you stupid (expletive) (expletive). Do you think that if Trump, who's the bad guy here... After that (expletive) Taliban (expletive) said that (expletive) about 9/11? Just some people did it. Maybe some (expletive) got did it you (expletive) You're a (expletive) disgrace. We need to kill all you (expletive) man, every (expletive) one of you man."

Investigators traced the phone's number to a T-Mobile account registered to Kim and John Kless.

Since Tlaib was scheduled to speak in Florida April 20th and 21st, investigators contacted T-Mobile who gave them the billing address in Tamarac. The phone carrier also checked the outgoing call detail records and confirmed the phone was used to call the offices of Swalwell, Tlaib, and Booker.

Investigators say Kless also made harassing phone calls to Representative Nancy Pelosi's office earlier in the year about taking away his guns, abortion, illegal immigration, and Muslims in Congress.

A neighbor described Kless as mild-mannered and said she never would have guessed he would be accused of making the threatening profanity-laced phone calls.

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