Aldan man charged with harassing U.S. Rep. Dean
NORRISTOWN » A Delaware County man has been charged with allegedly leaving 19 harassing and sexually explicit voicemails for U.S. Rep. Madeline Dean, D-6 of Abington, Montgomery County, at her Glenside congressional office throughout early February.
Stephen M. Cilurso, 68, of the 400 block of Magnolia Avenue in Aldan, is charged with one count of misdemeanor harassment – lewd communication and one count of harassment – repeatedly commits acts, a summary offense, according to court documents.
The calls were placed between Feb. 10 and Feb. 18, and included “vulgar, obscene and sexually explicit language,” according to a release from Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. Cilurso also left at least one message even after law enforcement told him to cease making the calls, the release says.
According to an affidavit of probable cause for his arrest written by Montgomery County Detective Vincent Higgins, Cilurso left 16 voicemail messages for Dean between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12, all from the same phone number.
The first of these ominously stated, “Hi Madeline, it’s just us. We’ll be waiting to see you when you get home. See you soon dear,” according to the affidavit. This was followed by three others the same day in which Cilurso allegedly made lewd comments about Dean’s body and sexual proclivities, and solicited money for the “Proud Boys,” an extremist conservative group closely associated with white nationalism.
On Feb. 11, Cilurso allegedly left another nine messages, apparently in response to Dean’s statements as a House impeachment manager during the second impeachment of former Republican President Donald Trump.
These messages appeared to mock Dean’s statements that she was afraid during the Jan. 6 insurrection in which five people died as pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building, repeatedly referenced Dean’s desire to be raped, called her a liar and said Cilurso had anal intercourse with Dean’s granddaughter, who is in third grade, according to the affidavit.
Three more messages were left Feb. 12 in which the Culurso, identifying himself as “Jeffrey Nascar,” allegedly asked lewd sexual questions, the affidavit says.
Cilurso left two more messages on Feb. 14 and 15 describing his hopes that sexual violence would be performed against Dean and that she would resign, according to the affidavit.
A special agent was able to trace the calls to Cilurso’s Magnolia Avenue address, according to the affidavit. Higgins and fellow Montco Detective Drew Marino went to the Aldan Police Department Feb. 13 after receiving reports of the harassing calls and confirmed Cilurso’s address, but were unable to make contact with him that day, the affidavit says.
Higgins left his card at Ciluso’s residence after trying to contact him again Feb. 14, according to the affidavit. Cilurso allegedly called Higgins and left three messages on his office desk phone that same day, one of which indicated that Cilurso has leukemia and said, “There’s times where I get drinking and my uh mouth is my own worst enemy, so um again I’m sorry I’ll try to stay off the phone,” the affidavit says.
Higgins made contact with Cilurso by phone Feb. 14, during which Cilurso again stated that he “gets into drinking” and has a “dirty mouth,” according to the affidavit. Cilurso allegedly stated that he is a Trump supporter and became angry while watching the impeachment hearings. Higgins set up a meeting on Feb. 17 at Cilurso’s residence, the affidavit says.
That same day, Cilurso left six voicemail messages with Higgins setting the terms and conditions of the meeting, according to the affidavit. He allegedly canceled the meeting the following day in an email.
When Higgins reached out to Cilurso by phone Feb. 16, he allegedly admitted, “I’ve been an a-hole,” the affidavit says.
“I get angry and I get on the phone, my mouth is my worst enemy,” Cilurso allegedly told the detective. He ended the conversation by stating that he is not “out to harm anybody,” but reiterated that he has leukemia and all he does is watch television, which sometimes angers him.
Higgins told Cilurso not to leave any more messages for Dean, according to the affidavit. Cilurso nonetheless left one final message Feb. 18 in which he identified himself as “Steve” and referenced having some past relationship with the congresswoman, but said she should “move on” and “let it go,” the affidavit says.
“Please let the Montgomery County um District Attorney’s Office um stop pursuing me, stop harassing me,” Cilurso said, according to the affidavit. “I don’t want to let the public know about our relationship.”
Higgins spoke with Dean April 1, who indicated she wished to press charges against Cilurso for the calls, the affidavit says.
Cilurso was arraigned April 9 before Magisterial District Judge Christopher Cerski and released on $25,000 unsecured bail, according to court records. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Judge Cerski April 22. No defense attorney was listed on court documents.