United States Attorney
District of Connecticut

PRESS RELEASE
May 13, 2008                       

FLORIDA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL THREATENING CHARGE

 Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARTHUR O'NEILL, 43, of Miramar, Florida, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney in Hartford to one count of threatening.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, on January 7, 2008, O'NEILL placed telephone calls to his sister, who resides in Connecticut, and left messages on his sister's answering machine in which he threatened to harm her. O'NEILL stated in these messages that, if his sister did not contact him within 24 hours, he would come to Connecticut to hurt or kill her and specifically threatened to cut his sister "to shreds with a knife."

O'NEILL has been detained since his arrest in Florida on February 19, 2008.

Judge Droney has scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2008, at which time O'NEILL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul H. McConnell.