A Florida man has been sentenced to two years in prison for threatening emergency dispatch personnel in Calhoun County and tying up an emergency phone line for three hours.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced that 35-year-old Jonathan Munafo was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for the 2021 incident.
Totten says Munafo called the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office on January 5, 2021, demanding to speak to a deputy or sergeant. Munafo only identified himself as “Yankee Patriot” as he aggressively berated the dispatcher.
When the dispatcher’s supervisor took over, Munafo said, “Put a … cop on the on the phone now … or it’s going to go way worse for your family.” He added, “I’m telling you, this isn’t a … threat, it’s a promise. … I’m gonna cut your throat. I’m gonna make you eat your … nose. I’m gonna hurt you bad for this.”
Officials say Munafo called the dispatch center 143 times, even though the supervisor pleaded with him to clear the line for emergency lines.
Munafo told the dispatcher she was risking lives by letting him tie up the line and that after the “Insurrection Act” he was coming to her house first.
Investigators say they determined that Munafo placed the call from a truck stop in North Carolina. The following day, Munafo allegedly participated in the assault on the U.S. Capitol. He has been indicted by a federal jury in Washington, D.C. for a number of offenses, including assaulting a U.S. Capitol officer.
“Violence, threats of violence, or intimidation is never the answer,” said U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totten. “My office will not tolerate this behavior, especially when it interferes with the life-saving duties of first responders and jeopardizes the public’s safety. Our public servants on the front lines should never be subjected to this type of harassment for simply doing their jobs.”
