DONALD TRUMP

San Pedro Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill Rep. Maxine Waters

A 45-year-old San Pedro man pleaded guilty today to threatening to kill Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, over her opposition to President Donald Trump.

Anthony Scott Lloyd faces sentencing July 16 on the single count of threatening a United States official. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years behind bars, but the defendant is expected to receive a far lesser penalty.

LLoyd's attorney declined comment outside court.

Lloyd made the threat during a phone call to Waters' Capitol Hill office. He had become angered while listening to talk radio on Oct. 22, when he heard a report in which Waters made disparaging comments about Trump, according to court papers.

"If you continue to make threats toward the president, you're going to wind up dead, Maxine, 'cause we'll kill you," Lloyd said in a voicemail.

He also used a racial slur -- the N-word -- to refer to Waters and an anti-gay slur in the message, officials said.

One of Waters' staff members contacted the U.S. Capitol Police, which notified the FBI.

An FBI agent interviewed Lloyd, who admitted leaving the voicemail but swore he had no intent to actually harm Waters.

Lloyd, who lives with his grandmother, identified himself as a "pro- president supporter" during the interview, papers show.

Waters has been one of Trump's most forceful critics on Capitol Hill.

For his part, Trump has referred to her several times as a "low-I.Q. individual."

Waters said in a statement in November that her district is "very diverse, and though we don't always agree, my constituents would never threaten me. We are collectively focused on the progress, safety and security of our communities."

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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