Eagleville man sent threatening email before firing shots into Montgomery County Democrats' building, police say

An Eagleville man has been charged with felony terrorism for allegedly firing shots into the Montgomery County Democratic Party's headquarters in the hours before President Joe Biden was inaugurated. 

Anthony F. Nero, 48, also allegedly sent a threatening email to the party one day after the U.S. Capitol riot, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Friday. Nero was arrested and arraigned Thursday. 

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According to investigators, Nero's email contained the following message: 

"Comment just wanted to let your offices know that you should probably beef up security. With this stolen election and Coup d'etat, violence is the only language you bloodsuckers understand. F*** you and your BLM bull**** along with ANTIFA. We WILL end this insurrection. Again, TRUMP YOU! You f***ing traitors. Random acts of violence are difficult to investigate. Have fun."

Three weeks later, Brian Levy, executive director of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee, found three bullet holes in the windows of the party's headquarters, located at 21 E. Airy Street in Norristown. 

Levy arrived there on the afternoon of Jan. 20 — Inauguration Day. Investigators retrieved two bullets from a desk inside the office and determined they came from a .45-caliber handgun. 

The shooting occurred sometime between 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 and 7:30 a.m. when the building was unoccupied. No one was injured. 

Investigators traced the email's IP address to Nero's cell phone. A search warrant led to the discovery of a loaded .45 handgun, registered in Nero's name, in his vehicle. 

Nero admitted to police that he wrote the email and fired the shots, KYW reported, citing charging documents. Nero allegedly told police it had been a stressful time due to the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and President Donald Trump's election defeat, which he claimed was stolen. 

Nero also was charged with making terroristic threats and carrying a firearms without a license, court documents show. Nero remains in custody. His bail was set at 10% of $50,000.

Nero has a preliminary hearing slated for March 5.