Dem headquarters shooter gets 3 years in prison
Montgomery County man fired shots into party headquarters after Trump’s loss in 2020
A man who emailed threats to and fired gunshots at the Montgomery County Democratic Committee headquarters in Norristown will spend about three years in a federal penitentiary.
Anthony F. Nero, 48, of Worcester Township was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Thursday to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with incidents that occurred between Jan. 8 and Jan. 20, 2021, at the Democratic headquarters in Norristown.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Karen S. Marston, who recommended that Nero be housed at a federal prison that offers mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. Nero will receive credit for the 14 months he’s been in federal custody while awaiting court action.
Nero previously pleaded guilty to charges of sending threatening communications and cyberstalking in connection with the January 2021 incidents.
“In the midst of a politically tumultuous time in our nation, Anthony Nero sent a threatening communication and then followed up on his threats with a violent act that could have resulted in catastrophic injury, or worse,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said Thursday. “I want to thank our partners in the Montgomery County district attorney’s office and all agencies at the federal, state and local levels for their dedicated work on this case.”
Federal prosecutors sought the 37-month prison term against Nero and during the hearing they read social media posts dating back to October 2020 in which Nero spoke about violence against public and political officials.
In numerous posts, according to court documents, Nero wrote, “Now it’s time to take out a high profile target… bands of heavily armed Patriots are gonna start going around and indiscriminately kill Democrats and burn their offices to the ground…They want war, we’ll give it to them…Violence is the only answer.”
During the hearing, defense lawyer Timothy Woodward sought a more mitigated sentence for Nero, essentially a downward departure from the 37 months sought by prosecutors, arguing Nero was drinking excessively and suffering from mental health issues, “a volatile combination,” at the time of the incidents.
“It was a volatile combination of alcohol and mental illness that was triggered by Jan. 6,” said Woodward, referring to the date of the riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Before learning his fate, Nero apologized to county Democratic officials, his
wife, his children and his parents.
“He’s accepted responsibility. He’s extremely remorseful and he’s ready to embrace a new chapter in his life of sobriety and treatment,” Woodward said.
Nero originally was charged by Norristown detectives with terroristic threats, terrorism, carrying a gun without a license and recklessly endangering other persons. However, Nero was taken into custody by federal agents March 3, 2021, when he showed up at a Norristown courtroom for what was supposed to be his preliminary hearing on the county charges.
Montgomery County prosecutors withdrew the county charges after federal authorities took possession of the case.
“I want to thank the U.S. attorney’s office for their efforts in prosecuting this defendant for terroristic threats against the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. There is no place for this kind of criminal behavior in our democracy, and our law enforcement will continue
to stand together to make sure that those who act in this way are brought to justice,” county District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Thursday.
The investigation of Nero began Jan. 8, when Norristown police received information that a threatening email, submitted under the name “Silent Majority,” was received the day before at the Democratic Committee headquarters, according to the original criminal complaint filed by Norristown detectives.
The email read: “Just wanted to let your offices know that you should probably beef up security. With this stolen election and coup d’etat, violence is the only language you bloodsuckers understand. [Expletive] you and your BLM [expletive] along with ANTIFA. We WILL end this insurrection. Again, TRUMP YOU!! You [expletive] traitors. Random acts of violence are difficult to investigate. Have fun.”
Officials at the Democratic offices told police they didn’t know who submitted the email and “expressed concerns for the safety of the building and employees” in light of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to the criminal complaint.
As the investigation into the source of the email was under way, at 4:38 p.m. Jan. 20, Norristown police responded to the Democratic headquarters after a party official reported arriving there and discovering bullet holes in the front window. Police observed “three bullet holes in the front window of the office” and were able to retrieve two projectiles from a desk that was located inside near the window, according to the previously filed arrest affidavit.
Investigators subsequently determined the projectiles were fired from a .45-caliber handgun.
No one was injured during the shooting and the office reportedly was unoccupied at the time of the gunfire.
With help from the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police and county detectives, investigators traced the internet address related to the Jan. 7 email to Nero’s residence and cellphone. A firearms check also revealed that Nero was the owner of a .45-caliber handgun.
On Feb. 17, detectives, armed with a search warrant, made contact with Nero. At that time, Nero allegedly told detectives the firearm was located in the cargo area of his vehicle.
Detectives found a tactical bag in the cargo area and inside located a .45-caliber firearm in a brown leather holster, according to court documents. The weapon was found in the “cocked” position, loaded with one round in the chamber and five additional rounds in the magazine, detectives said.
Ballistics tests by county detectives confirmed that two spent rounds recovered from the Democratic headquarters were fired by Nero’s .45-caliber pistol, according to court papers.
During an interview by investigators, Nero admitted to emailing the threatening comment to the Democratic Committee and also admitted to firing his gun into the committee headquarters three times as he drove by the office during the late evening hours.
Nero stated that he fired the rounds into the building “because I am going through a stressful time in my life losing my family this whole COVID thing shutting down the country the abundant evidence available relating to the theft of the election,” according to the original arrest affidavit.
“Anthony Nero first used words as his weapon, sending threatening messages to frighten people whose views he didn’t agree with,” said Jacqueline Maguire, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He then escalated exponentially when he loaded his gun, drove to the MCDP office, and fired off those rounds.
“No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. That’s why sending threatening communications is a crime, and why the FBI and our partners take threats so seriously as we work to protect and serve everyone in our communities,” Maguire added.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norristown Police Department, Montgomery County Detective Bureau, Montgomery County district attorney’s office, and the Pennsylvania State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Josh Davison, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen A. McLaughlin, who is also a county prosecutor.