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LANGLEY PARK, Md. - A man who left threatening phone messages to Hispanic advocates at Casa de Maryland last May is speaking out.
The messages Wesley James Queen left to workers at Casa de Maryland were so profane their contents could not be released to the public.
But after pleading guilty to making bomb and death threats, Queen has decided to sing a different tune.
"I'm here today to publicly apologize for the threats I made toward Casa," Queen said.
According to his victims, Queen surprised them at a hearing after his arrest last fall by immediately saying he was sorry. He then went through a moderated reconciliation process with those he threatened with death. Now, the Pasadena man who has yet to be sentenced, claims he has a better understanding of the immigrant community.
"Hopefully, everyone involved will accept this apology and that I'm trying to make amends for this mistake," Queen said.
In a room packed with day laborers, listening through a translator, Queen blamed his mental illness and inspiration from an alleged political gathering for his crimes.
"With the combination of personal stresses, misinformation from a Republican meeting and not taking bipolar medication...are what led up to making the threatening phone call," Queen said.
Queen refused to explain how a Republican gathering inspired what his victims called, at the time, acts of terrorism. Casa's main spokesman who answered one of the threatening calls says they never found proof such a meeting happened, but say they're ready to move on.
"This is really important for us as a community and immigrant community - to know that somebody who threatened us is apologizing and is willing to learn about the struggles of the immigrant community," said Mario Quiroz of Casa de Maryland.
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