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A Long Island man who threatened to kill two US senators in retaliation for his support for Brett M. Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison.
The man, 75-year-old Ronald DeRisi of Smithtown, NJ, left multiple voice messages swearing in senators' offices and threatened to assault and murder them. He was sentenced by Judge Joseph F. Bianco of the Federal District Court in Central Islip.
"Nine millimeters, the side of the head," he said in one of the phone calls, according to court documents, according to which Mr. DeRisi would have made these calls in the days leading up to and following the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh's appointment last October.
The confirmation process became a partisan and controversial battle after several women accused Kavanaugh J. of sexual assault and malpractice. He denied the allegations.
In phone calls, DeRisi called Judge Kavanuagh a "sexual predator".
A representative of Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings, said Monday that he was one of the officials targeted by Mr. DeRisi. His office refused to comment on the sentence.
Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine whose Mr. Kavanaugh's support was instrumental in his confirmation, had the other senator been threatened by Mr. DeRisi, confirmed a spokeswoman for Ms. Collins.
After executing a search warrant at Mr. DeRisi's home in October, investigators found ammunition for a 9-millimeter rifle and a BB-type rifle.
Mr DeRisi pleaded guilty in February for threatening to assault and murder both senators.
Threatening to kill an American official is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
"Our political process allows for vigorous debate, but not destruction," said US attorney Richard P. Donoghue in a statement. statement Monday. "Threatening to hurt or kill elected officials because someone who does not agree with their public positions far exceeds the framework of the First Amendment and will not be tolerated."
As part of his sentence, Mr. DeRisi confiscated two firearms, which were held by a family member, in the federal government.
Peter E. Brill, a lawyer who has represented DeRisi in the past, said DeRisi was suffering from dementia and other health problems.
He said that in 2011, Mr. DeRisi had been arrested after using a decorative sword to cut cables on a cell phone tower near his home. He also said that Mr. DeRisi was arrested in 2015 after allegedly threatening a lawyer with a landlord association with whom he had a dispute. A psychological evaluation revealed that Mr. DeRisi was suffering from a brain atrophy that seemed to have affected him.
On Monday, Mr. Brill asked questions of another lawyer, Martin Geduldig, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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