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Man Learns It’s Probably Best to Just Pay Your Taxes and Not Threaten to Kill IRS Agents

Posted on by Adrienne Gonzalez

While many of us were running off for a 3 day weekend, one Andrew A. Calcione of Rhode Island was found guilty in U.S. District Court of one count each of threatening to assault and murder an IRS revenue agent and threatening to assault and murder the agent’s family.

Chief Judge William E. Smith delivered his verdict after taking under advisement testimony presented in a jury waived trial on May 21, 2014. Calcione faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on September 11, 2014.

“The vast majority of Americans understand the payment of their federal taxes is part of their civic responsibilities.  A very small number do not, and an even smaller number not only refuse to pay their taxes, but engage in the kind of outrageous, threatening, and frankly bizarre behavior involved here,” commented United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha.  “This Office will continue to protect and seek justice for government officials simply trying to do their jobs on behalf of the people of the United States.  Suffice it to say that we will be seeking the toughest, appropriate sentence in this case.”

It appears Calcione had some tax trouble going back to tax years 2008, 2009, and 2010. An IRS revenue agent was assigned to check this out and came to the conclusion that Calcione owed the IRS around $330,000.

While getting all the paperwork together, the agent realized that Calcione had signed a form the agent needed but Calcione's wife had not. No biggie. The agent rang up the Calciones and left a voicemail. That's when shit got real.

Three days after the agent left the voicemail, Calcione left a couple voicemails of his own. One of the messages contained a threat made by Andrew Calcione that if the agent called him again he would show up at the agent’s home and torture the agent, then rape and kill his wife and injure his daughter while the agent watched, before killing the agent. A second message left by Calcione requested that Calcione disregard the first message, which Calcione said was left in error.

OK, assuming that last part is true, who did Calcione mean to threaten with the above if not the IRS agent assigned to him? Paint me skeptical on that but whatever.

Just a friendly reminder to anyone either seriously or jokingly considering leaving angry voicemails for IRS agents: Knowingly and intentionally threaten to assault and murder a Revenue Agent of the IRS with intend to interfere with the official in the performance of official duties and knowingly and intentionally threaten to assault and murder a member of the immediate family of a Revenue Agent of the IRS are each punishable by statutory penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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