Joseph de Soto, recently elected as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, was arrested this week for making death threats against his fellow state lawmakers. Authorities took de Soto into custody early Thursday morning following a state police investigation.
De Soto was elected in November but has not yet been sworn into office. He faces a felony charge of making threats of terrorist acts, leading to a bond set at $300,000. It is believed the Delegate-elect made the threats after a recent meeting where Republican lawmakers discussed his potential expulsion from their caucus. The specifics of this discussion remain unclear. On Wednesday, de Soto changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic, as confirmed by the West Virginia secretary of state’s office.
According to a police complaint, the threats included de Soto expressing his intention to kill certain delegates, specifically naming Republican lawmakers like Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
The complaint further alleges that de Soto claimed to be acting on divine instruction to harm these officials. It includes an email where he stated the delegates “can all go to hell,” promising to send them there. The evidence presented also indicates that de Soto communicated threats via text messages.
Jacob Mills of Criminal Law Center Kevin D. Mills & Associates is representing de Soto. In a statement to the media, Mills emphasized that de Soto has pleaded not guilty and is considered innocent until proven otherwise, affirming his defense’s commitment to seeking acquittal.
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