Hamden Man Mailed More Than 100 Threatening Letters: Feds

HAMDEN, CT — A Hamden man is accused of mailing more than 100 threatening letters to journalists, judges and other public officials in Connecticut and elsewhere over the past several months, according to officials.

Garrett Santillo, 43, was arrested Wednesday on a federal complaint charging him with mailing numerous threatening letters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, announced.

Santillo is accused of mailing the letters, which contained “threatening and hateful statements” and included threats of violence, between March and June, according to authorities.

“Several letters mailed by Santillo contained this language: ‘If you don’t obey what this letter says, along with others including people in Washington DC and everywhere and you. You all will be killed!!’” officials wrote in a news release.

Santillo, who appeared in federal court in Hartford on Wednesday, was released after posting a $100,000 bond.

Officials said Santillo has been federally prosecuted, convicted and sentenced for mailing threatening letters three prior times, and he completed his most recent term of federal supervision in August 2021.

The charge of mailing a threatening communication carries a maximum term of five years in prison. If the threatening communication is addressed to a federal judge or federal law enforcement officer, the maximum penalty is 10 years of imprisonment, according to officials.

The matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Hamden, Milford, Ridgefield and New Haven Police Departments, according to the news release. The investigation has also been assisted by the offices of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney, New Haven State’s Attorney and Litchfield State’s Attorney.