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In Nassau County, detectives arrested Lake Ronkonkoma resident Kenneth Gasper, age 64, on Wednesday, Nov. 10 following an investigation into a threat made toward Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino.
Garbarino represents the southwest portion of South Shore in Suffolk County and a small portion of southeastern Nassau County on Long Island.
He was one of 13 GOP lawmakers to vote in favor of the infrastructure bill, all of whom have come under fire from members of their own party.
“Unfortunately, there’s been so much misinformation circulating and it’s causing a lot of anger and confusion," Garbarino said in a statement, "but the truth is that the Infrastructure Bill is not the Reconciliation Bill.
“It’s about paving roads, repairing bridges, and bringing jobs to Long Island. Anyone saying otherwise is trafficking in lies."
Police said that on Monday, Nov. 8, Gasper allegedly made a death threat over the phone toward Garbarino for a recent congressional vote that he did not agree with.
The incident came after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shared the phone numbers of the 13 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill on social media.
“I’ve had the police at my house, and they’re more concerned about these (threats) that have been coming in than the ones I’ve gotten in the past,” Garbarino said to the New York Post earlier this week.
“There are members of Congress that are fundraising off of their misinformation and attacking us, and it’s causing us to get death threats on the other side.”
Gasper was charged with aggravated harassment and arraigned on Thursday, Nov. 11. He is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at First District Court in Hempstead.
A news briefing regarding Gasper has been scheduled for around midday on Friday, Nov. 12 with Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
The Special Investigations Section is handling the case, according to police.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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