A former employee of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Middletown, Rhode Island, was brought before a U.S. District Court in Providence. Luis Sanchez Pardella, 38, from Newport, faced charges for allegedly transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, confirmed Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
As detailed in a criminal complaint now unsealed, it is claimed that between July 2022 and February 2023, Pardella made several threatening phone calls to at least eight former colleagues at the center. One voicemail reportedly from Pardella stated, “I will kill you and your wife when I see you on the street.”
Further allegations indicate Pardella made several threatening calls between December 2022 and February 2023 to the Portsmouth, RI, Police Department. During these calls, Pardella reportedly claimed an officer and his wife "will be going to jail," described the department as “corrupt,” and said, "write down (name of officer’s wife) is dead write down. The wife of one of your cops is dead. Do you know who (name redacted) is? Write down she is dead."
In court today, Pardella was released under GPS monitoring and instructed to avoid any contact with identified victims.
A federal criminal complaint represents merely an allegation. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr., is handling the prosecution, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
This case is under investigation by the FBI, with help from the Portsmouth Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newport Police Department, Providence Police Department, and the Federal Air Marshal Service.
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