A Holmesburg woman was charged late Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney here with telephoning a threat in September to detonate a bomb near a federal official identified only as “Person #1” and the official’s family members.
According to an FBI arrest affidavit, Ruby Marconi, 57, of Shelmire Avenue near Cottage Street, left several threatening messages on U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr.’s U.S. Capitol office telephone on Sept. 16 . A Casey staffer reported the messages to U.S. Capitol Police.
The FBI affidavit said Marconi, after complaining about Casey “going against our President,” stated in one of the calls: “Hello Casey, you are going to pay for this ... What the hell are you in office for, to go against President Obama?”
In a subsequent telephone message the same day, the affidavit said Marconi had admitted being angry during an earlier call to the senator’s office, saying, in part: “You don’t think people are planning things right now. There is going to be war right here in America. That’s right ... we got weapons ... we got a lot of things, bombs. It’s easy to make a bomb ...”
Marconi was arrested by the FBI on Sept. 22. She was ordered by a federal magistrate in October to undergo a psychological examination and mental health treatment at a federal prison for a period not to exceed four months.
Last month, Marconi, was found by a federal magistrate to be competent to stand trial. She was released on $10,000 unsecured bond while prosecutors determined whether to charge her.
Marconi was charged Wednesday by criminal information, a process that generally indicates a plea deal is in the works.
Contact Michael Hinkelman at 215-854-2656 or hinkelm@phillynews.com or follow on Twitter @MHinkelman.
