MAY 20 UPDATE: Louis Damato, 47, of Las Vegas, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for allegedly making threats to assault and murder a Nevada U.S. Representative, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI.
Damato was previously charged in a criminal complaint on March 27, 2020. His initial court appearance is scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler on June 1, 2020.
As alleged in the complaint and indictment, on March 16, 2020, the office of U.S. Representative Dina Titus in Washington, D.C., received a threatening voicemail stating in pertinent part: “… I bought a f*cking gun ok I’m coming to DC to blow your f*cking head off!” Later that day, U.S. Capitol Police determined that the phone that left the threatening voicemail belonged to Damato. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department located Damato at a hotel casino, where he was arrested and read his Miranda rights. Damato allegedly admitted that he had been calling Representative Titus’ office for several days, and that he left the threatening message on the morning of March 16, 2020.
If convicted, Damato faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the threatening to assault and murder a public official charge and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the interstate threats charge.
ORIGINAL STORY
A federal judge has set a preliminary hearing next month for a 47-year-old Las Vegas man accused of threatening to kill Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus.
Louis Damato made his initial court appearance on two felony charges Friday via video with a U.S. magistrate.
Damato was arrested at a casino resort on the west edge of Las Vegas on March 16.
That's the same day federal prosecutors say he's accused of leaving an expletive-filled message on the voicemail at Titus' congressional office in Washington. A criminal complaint says he made references to President Donald Trump while making threats to fatally shoot Titus.
