Middleton man, former naval police officer, charged with threats to ex and her mother

Julie Manganis, The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
·2 min read

Sep. 28—MIDDLETON — A former naval police officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, already in custody after being found carrying a hatchet in Lawrence, is now facing federal charges that he threatened his ex-wife and mother-in-law in Iowa, federal prosecutors announced.

Luis De Leon, 30, of Middleton, was charged with three counts of making threatening communications in interstate commerce. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday.

Prosecutors say that De Leon, who worked until last June as a Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Naval Police Officer, made threats by phone and mail to the two women.

De Leon allegedly used another person's phone number to make a threatening call to his ex-wife, in which he told her:

"You're gonna (expletive) pay! Do you understand!? There will be death! There will be war in the street! You wanna to go war!? I'll take you to (expletive) war!"

Several days later, on May 2, De Leon was arrested and charged by Lawrence police in an unrelated incident in which he allegedly was carrying a hatchet, threatened to commit a crime and several other offenses. He has been held at the Middleton Jail since then.

Federal prosecutors say that did not stop De Leon from continuing to send threats, this time to his former mother-in-law.

De Leon warned he was "heading over there soon" and "God help you and your dysfunctional family if you try and stop me," prosecutors charge. "I won't be alone either just so you know and that's for your safety NOT MINE!!!" the letter allegedly stated.

"If you don't believe me just look where I'm sending this from. I don't really have much else to lose, and do you know what men with nothing left to lose usually do?"

If found guilty, he could face up to five years for each count of making threatening communications.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis