He Just Got Elected in W. Virginia. Now He's in Custody

Joseph de Soto's celebration of his election last month to West Virginia's House of Delegates was a short-lived one. The 61-year-old Republican-turned-Democrat was arrested early Thursday by State Police in Martinsburg, after police say a probe found he'd made "several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials," reports the AP. A criminal complaint seen by NBC News shows that Robert Hanshaw, the House speaker, was among those named.

• The threats: In an email shown to police by a witness, de Soto had written that his fellow delegates "can all go to hell, I will send them there as commanded," per NBC. In a text shown to cops by that same witness, de Soto allegedly wrote, "I did say I am going to kill people." "When asked what he meant by using the word 'kill,' he advised God called him to kill them," the complaint notes.

• Possible impetus: The complaint also says that de Soto had been upset over a recent meeting in which his Republican colleagues discussed whether he was qualified to serve in his new role, per West Virginia Watch.
• Party swap? It's not entirely clear if this had any bearing on what went down, but on Wednesday, de Soto, who ran as a Republican for his term set to start in January, switched to the Democratic Party. A rep for the West Virginia secretary of state's office tells the AP that although officials can swap parties after they've been sworn in (de Soto hasn't been yet), it's murky on whether it can happen before an individual takes office. If de Soto ends up resigning, it's the Democrats who will now get to appoint his replacement.
• What's next: De Soto, who was hit with a felony charge of threats of terrorist acts and a bond of $300,000, has entered a not guilty plea, per his lawyer. He could face up to three years behind bars and a max $25,000 fine. An investigation is ongoing.

(More West Virginia stories.)