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Frank Monte, 52, of Passaic County, NJ, must serve out just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal court system.
Monte, of the Oak Ridge section of West Milford, "repeatedly called the emergency line of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Police at the VA Lyons hospital campus" in Somerset County, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
"During one of those calls, Monte threatened to 'shoot up' a VA Police officer," he said.
Monte also "called the office of a U.S. Congressman and spoke with a staff member," the U.S. attorney added.
During that call, he said, Monte "threatened that if he ever saw a particular special agent of the U.S. Secret Service in New Jersey, Monte would assault him."
Three days later, Monte called a special agent of the U.S. Capitol Police, Sellinger said. During that call, Monte "once again threatened to assault the same special agent of the U.S. Secret Service," he said.
Monte rejected a plea deal from the government, went to trial in U.S. District Court in Newark and was convicted this past May of three counts of threatening a federal law enforcement officer and two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez sentenced Monte on Monday, Nov. 21, to three years of supervised release.
Monte has a criminal history dating back more than 20 years that includes both arrests and convictions for similar behavior. In one case he was charged with threatening a judge in Broward County, Florida, records show.
Monte has spent several years in prison, including five for going to Miami's FB headquarters with a fully-loaded handgun while stalking another victim, according to court records.
Two different Florida judges also issued restraining orders against Monte for themselves out of fear for their own safety.
Authorities also accused Monte of harassing Trump and his family before the now-former POTUS was sworn into the job. Incidents allegedly included Monte tearing his own photo down from the security desk in the Trump Tower front lobby in Manhattan.
Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service's Newark Field Office with the investigation leading to the verdict and sentencing in the recent case, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Tornatore and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of his Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The U.S. attorney also thanked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police VA New Jersey Health Care System, members of the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section, members of the U.S. Marshals Service and members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office.
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