United States Representative Maxine Waters (file photo)

A federal grand jury has charged a San Pedro man with threatening to murder United States Representative Maxine Waters in a phone call to her Capitol Hill office last month. 

Anthony Scott Lloyd, 44, was charged with one count of threatening a United States official in an indictment filed Friday in United States District Court. 

Lloyd was arrested in this case on November 9, one day after federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint that accused Lloyd of making the threatening phone call to Rep. Waters’ office. According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Lloyd called the Congresswoman’s office on October 22 and left a voicemail laced with expletives and epithets that uses the words “dead” and “kill” a total of four times. 

Lloyd, who was freed on a $20,000 bond after his arrest, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on December 7. 

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. 

If he were to be convicted of making the threat against Rep. Waters with the intent to interfere with the Congresswoman while she engaged in her official duties, Lloyd would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. 

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received assistance from the United States Capitol Police, Threat Assessment Section. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Veronica Dragalin of the General Crimes Section.