PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain
announced that Samuel Meeker, 38, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to
two counts of interstate communication of threats against two individuals: a
Lehigh County public official and a private attorney. United States District
Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl presided over the guilty plea hearing in Reading via
video teleconference.
On August 9, 2019, the defendant left a threatening
telephone voice message for a Lehigh County Solicitor using the Lehigh County
Law Department’s internet voicemail system. The defendant threatened physical
force against the victim and communicated his desire that the entire County of
Lehigh be destroyed and wiped from the map.
Two days later, on August 11, 2019, the defendant left a
telephone voice message for a private lawyer, who was the personal and estate
attorney for the defendant’s father. The defendant threatened force against the
lawyer and all other partners in the lawyer’s law firm, stating that the
defendant would destroy them.
“Specific threats of violence like the ones made here must
be taken very seriously and deserve an immediate response from law
enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Meeker made vile threats against
multiple innocent people, including a public servant. I am thankful to the FBI
for their swift handling of this potentially explosive situation.”
“You can't just call and threaten people with violent
physical harm and not face repercussions,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special
Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “The FBI and our law
enforcement partners have to take you at your word and intervene, because protecting
human life is our absolute priority. Samuel Meeker is being held appropriately
accountable for his actions.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney
Kishan Nair.
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