Montco Man Charged With Democratic Party Threats Faces Hearing

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — An Eagleville man who was arrested for firing a gun at the headquarters of the Montgomery County Democratic Party following former President Donald Trump’s election loss has been scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing in federal court.

Anthony Nero, of Bean Road, is facing charges of cyberstalking and threatening communications in connection with the shooting and for sending a threatening email message to county Democratic officials in the spring of 2021.

Nero, who turns 49 this month, had initially been charged by Montgomery County prosecutors but the case was subsequently taken over by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

News reports stated that Nero showed up to his preliminary hearing in early March 2021 before a local magisterial district judge, but federal officials swept in and took him into custody after the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office abruptly withdrew the state charges.

When initially arraigned on the charges, Nero pleaded not guilty, but the change-of-plea hearing scheduled for this Wednesday in U.S. District Court signals that Nero may be intending to admit to his alleged crimes.

According to a federal complaint, Nero previously confessed to an FBI agent and a Norristown police corporal that he was the one who sent a threatening email to the Montgomery County Democratic Party on Jan. 7, 2021.

Nero also admitted that he fired three shots one early January 2021 morning at the county Democratic Party headquarters in Norristown using his .45 caliber Springfield Armory 1911 pistol.

The federal complaint says that the email to the Montgomery Democratic Party stated: “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. [Expletive] you and your BLM [expletive] along with ANTIFA. We WILL end this insurrection. Again, TRUMP YOU!! You [expletive] traitors. Random acts of violence are difficult to investigate. Have fun.”

Patch inserted ‘expletive’ in the parts of the email that contained profanities.

The complaint says that it wasn’t until Jan. 20, 2021 that county Democratic officials discovered their building had been shot at with the .45 caliber handgun.

In mid-February of last year, a confidential source informed investigators that Nero was the one who had been threatening various Montgomery County Democratic officials, and the source provided authorities with Nero’s cell phone number.

Before the case was transferred to the federal government, Nero was facing state charges of terrorism, terroristic threats, carrying a firearm without a license and reckless endangerment.