A 35-year-old Florida man has admitted to mailing death threats to the Gov. Dannel Malloy, two federal judges and a dozen other Connecticut residents, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. attorneys office said Garrett Santillo, 35, of Hollywood, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to one count of mailing threatening communications.
Prosecutors said Santillo mailed hand-written letters to the victim's home addresses over the summer and threatened to kill those who failed to comply with his requests. Santillo is also accused of writing a similar threat to the president that he never mailed.
“You [sic] home addresses in Conn. are public information and if you mask your identity by name or appearance, we can still track you to wherever you go and will kill you if you don’t follow what this letter instructs,” Santillo allegedly wrote in one of the letters.
A total of fifteen Connecticut residents, including the governor, received threatening notes, which each contained "a demand for action," including orders to lock up or release various killers.
According to paperwork filed in federal court, Santillo sent Malloy a letter on Aug. 15 saying the governor "will most definitely be killed for signing a bill ending the death penalty in CT."
One of the victims also received threatening voicemails from a number that investigators linked to Santillo and his family, according to the paperwork.
Santillo was arrested Sept. 29. According to federal prosecutors, he threatened to kill himself when law enforcement showed up, and authorities shot him with a Taser to prevent Santillo from hurting anyone.
Santillo will be sentenced May 27 and could face up to 10 years in prison.
