An American citizen living in Thailand on Wednesday pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Senator Thom Tillis, R-NC, and his staff.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Eric Charles Welton, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening a federal official on account of his duties. Welton is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison.
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Welton was also accused of sending threatening messages to then-Senator Richard Burr, R-NC. In court, the Justice Department attorneys said Welton made multiple harassing and intimidating phone calls to the offices of elected Republicans and GOP organizations in the United States.
According to the Justice Department, Welton claimed he made the calls because he was angry about the many unsolicited emails he received.
In September of 2021, Welton spoke with a staffer at Tillis’ Raleigh office, threatening to show up and “put a bullet through each of [their] heads.” Welton also threatened to come to North Carolina and “mow down” the “whole [expletive] state” and cut off the hands of the person who emailed him.
“Threatening to kill a public official and his staff is not only despicable but also an affront to our democratic system of government,” Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated today. “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute threats or intimidation against public officials, so they can properly carry out their important duties.”
FBI agents in Charlotte and Atlanta arrested Welton in May 2023 at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The initial criminal complaint against Welton also claimed that in October and November of 2022, Welton began making threats against United States Marines and others working at the U.S. Consulate in Thailand. In one voicemail, Welton allegedly stated that he was “going to kill a bunch of Marines” due to anger over an immigration issue.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.