Story Archive

How’s That Tactic Working Out for You, Bonfiglio?

Peter James Bonfiglio, 27, of Port Charlotte, Fla., called 911 to report a middle-of-the-night home-invasion jewelry robbery; he had been shot in the foot. When deputies arrived he accused a woman he knew, and an unknown male accomplice, with the robbery. When deputies contacted the woman, she said no, Bonfiglio had tried to get her to help him sell some jewelry — and showed them text messages from Bonfiglio to back up her story. Deputies determined Bonfiglio had shot himself, “most likely accidentally,” and arrested him on charges of filing a false police report. Eight months ago, Bonfiglio had shot himself, most likely accidentally, and had blamed “someone hiding in the woods.” Five years ago, Bonfiglio called police to say he was an Iraq war veteran with PTSD. When officers arrived he was holding a gun to his head. After throwing several Molotov cocktails, Bonfiglio pointed his gun at an officer; the officer shot him, hitting him in the stomach. Records show he was never in the military. In 2005, he was arrested for threatening to kill then-President George W. Bush. He has at least eight other arrests on his record, including for bomb threats, assault with a deadly weapon, and selling fake Secret Service credentials. (RC/WBBH Fort Myers, South Florida Sun-Sentinel) ...So the real problem isn’t Bonfiglio, it’s that Florida hasn’t yet put him in prison for life.