- Jonathan Munafo, 35, pleaded guilty to threatening a 911 dispatcher on his way to the Capitol riot.
- He repeatedly called the line, demanding to speak to a deputy sheriff or sergeant about "unspecified issues."
- Munafo was previously indicted after prosecutors alleged he attacked a Capitol police officer and stole their riot shield.
An accused January 6 Capitol rioter admitted his guilt in a separate case after he threatened a 911 dispatcher, authorities said.
Jonathan Joshua Munafo, a 35-year-old from Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to communicating a threat in interstate commerce, the US Attorney's Office of the Western District of Michigan announced last week.
On January 5, 2021, Munafo placed more than 140 calls to the Calhoun County, Michigan 911 dispatch line, demanding to speak to a deputy sheriff or sergeant about "unspecified issues," the US Attorney's office said in a statement.
Munafo didn't have an emergency to report, so the dispatcher told him to clear the line. Instead, he called back "repeatedly," the statement said.
"He threatened her, 'I'm gonna cut your throat. I'm gonna make you eat your fucking nose,'" the statement said. "He said after the 'Insurrection Act,' he was 'coming to your door first,' and said, 'it's going to go way worse for your family.'"
According to court documents, Munafo said: "Put a fucking cop on the phone now, you stupid bitch, or it's gonna go way worse for your family. I'm not joking, this is not some bullshit call!"
When asked by the 911 dispatcher not to make threats, court documents say Munafo responded: "Hey lady, I'm telling you, this isn't a fucking threat, it's a promise."
Munafo made the calls from a North Carolina truck stop, the US Attorney's Office said, citing cell phone location records.
The next day, he participated in the Capitol riot, where prosecutors allege he attacked a Capitol police officer and stole their riot shield.
At least 846 people have been charged in the Capitol insurrection so far, and 298 rioters have pleaded guilty for their role in the attack.
"We will not tolerate threats of this kind," US Attorney Mark Totten said in the statement. "Emergency dispatchers do critical work, under stressful circumstances, to keep the community safe. No one, especially front-line public servants, should face threats of death or other physical violence."
Manufo faces five years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October, according to CBS News' Scott MacFarlane, who first reported the news.
Manufo's listed attorney, a federal public defender, declined to comment on Sunday.