A Winter Park, Florida, man accused of leaving a profanity-laced, threatening voicemail for a congressman was arrested outside his home Friday, just minutes after daring authorities to take him into custody.
Charles Zachary Howard was incredulous while speaking with WFTV reporter Jeff Levkulich about a criminal complaint filed Friday in federal court.
“Why are you harassing me and my neighbors?” he asked.
The complaint alleges that on March 8, Howard called an unnamed congressman and threatened to kill him.
“I suggest you prepare for the battle (expletive) and the apocalypse,” the voicemail said. “Cause we’re going to hunt your (expletive) down, wrap a rope around your neck and hang you from a lamp post.”
“I didn’t threaten anybody,” Howard said when confronted with the federal complaint.
After walking away, Howard came back and pointed to a vehicle parked down the street.
“The FBI is right down here. Why aren’t they coming to arrest me?” he asked. “They have me right here in public.”
He then continued his tirade and challenged law enforcement to arrest him.
“Well, videotape the arrest, come on guys. Come on, WFTV News,” he said.
“There’s two agents over there. Why don’t they come arrest me? Why aren’t they arresting me?” he asked. “Because I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why.”
Three minutes later, agents pulled up to Howard’s home.
“We have a warrant for your arrest,” one agent told him.
“You have a warrant for my arrest?” Howard asked. “OK.”
He was put into a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office cruiser and driven to jail.
Howard was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another.
See the incident as it unfolded (Warning: Graphic language)
