Havertown man charged with threatening Sheriff Siddiq Kamara, Delco DA says

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Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse on Tuesday announced the arrest of Sean Keenan, 40, for allegedly threatening Sheriff Siddiq Kamara via voicemail.

Rouse charged the Havertown man with disorderly conduct, ethnic intimidation, harassment and terroristic threats.

“The words used in the voicemails to Sheriff Kamara were vile, disgusting, and completely unacceptable,” Rouse said in a press release. “There is a time when language crosses the line into criminal behavior and that is exactly what we have here.”

On July 18, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office received a voicemail message to Kamara, who is Muslim, that began with the phrase “death to Islam.”

“I will find you,” the caller said. “I know where you are. You’re an amateur. You sold your tell. I will find you. I will break you.”

A few minutes later, the individual left a voicemail from a different number, calling Kamara a racial slur.

“I’m going to hunt you like I go hunting in Alaska,” the caller said. “I’m going to find your trail and I’m going to snipe you when you least expect it and I’m going to force-feed you your intestines.”

The sheriff’s office filed a complaint with the district attorney’s office. Investigators used a public database to track down associates of the phone numbers and subsequently matched the voice to a 911 call made in February from one of the numbers. The 911 caller identified himself as Keenan, according to the criminal complaint.

On July 21, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Keenan’s home. According to the criminal complaint, Keenan participated in an interview with investigators where he “admitted making those calls,” using both his personal cellphone and his work cellphone.

“What makes this case particularly troubling is that the defendant is not from some distant place,” Kamara said Tuesday in a press release. “According to the charges, he is a resident of Delaware County—our neighbor, someone who lives in the same communities we do. That should remind all of us that hatred, violent rhetoric, and threats are not problems that exist somewhere else. They can exist here, and when they do, we have a responsibility to confront them.”

Kamara was motivated to run for sheriff after Sharon Hill police officers fatally shot his 8-year-old cousin Fanta Bility after a high school football game in 2021.

Kamara said he chose to publicly release the voicemail threats to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue.

He thanked the community for responding with kindness after the incident and said he believes “civility is not a sign of weakness” but a sign of strength.

“We can disagree without dehumanizing one another,” Kamara said. “We can debate passionately without resorting to intimidation or violence.”

Keenan’s bail was set at $100,000. His bail has since been posted. As of Tuesday, court records did not indicate whether Keenan retained an attorney to contact for comment. A preliminary hearing for Keenan has been scheduled for Aug. 7.