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Lenoir City man has struck a deal to plead guilty to telephoning
threats to a Virginia congressman's family.According to court documents, Glendon Swift, 62, has admitted that he left two anonymous telephone messages at the office of U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va) in October, and said he was drunk when he did so. Swift was ordered detained Friday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley pending a Dec. 20 hearing at which he is expected to plead guilty to one count of threatening a federal official's family.
The plea deal calls for a 13-month prison term. But U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan must approve it at an April 4 sentencing.
When FBI agents from the Richmond, Va., field office first questioned Swift about the calls, he readily admitted he had made them, court documents state.
Swift "immediately responded that he was aware of why the agents were there and stated that he 'got drunk the other night and started cussing people out,' " a court document states.
Swift, after consulting with an attorney, has signed a plea agreement. He has also agreed to have the case handled in Knoxville instead of Virginia.
The calls were made on Swift's cellphone. They were "laden with the screaming and ranting of profanities," and made derogatory references to the fact that Cantor is Jewish.
In one of the calls, Swift says: "How about if I rape your daughter? How about that, if I come into your house and kill your wife."
Available court documents do not indicate Swift's motive in making the call.