The FBI has arrested a supporter of Proud Boys in his Queens residence after he reportedly made death threats to one of Georgia’s elected Senators, Raphael Warnock.
Eduard Florea, 40, was charged with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. He was denied bail.
According to WSBTV, Florea threatened to release “three cars full of armed patriots” to Washington last week. Authorities charged him on Wednesday with “stockpiling military-style combat knives and more than 1,000 rifle rounds in his New York home.”
Prosecutors revealed that Florea had sworn to go to the nation’s capital and slice “a throat at the Jan. 6 attack by Pro-Trump supports. Authorities were also able to locate another post that threatened Warnock’s life, The Associated Press reported.
Warnock was elected as one of Georgia’s Senators following a runoff election on Jan.5 with fellow Democratic Jon Ossoff. Both victories gave the Democratic Party control over the U.S. Senate.
According to a criminal complaint, Florea wrote, “The time for peace and civility is over. I will be reaching out to patriots in my area so we can come up with a game plan.”
His defense attorney says that he did not have any guns inside his home and referred to the online posts as “blather.” She mentioned that her client was arrested by federal authorities that “came to his home in a military tank.”
“He is not charged with any action whatsoever in connection with the despicable acts that happened at the Capitol,” federal public defender Mia Eisner-Grynberg told the AP. “Mr. Florea does not condone that behavior.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara ordered the software engineer to be held without bail, citing “a premeditated plan to exact violence against people in New York and people in Washington.”
