Proud Boys Supporter Threatens To Kill Georgia Senator-Elect Raphael Warnock
A man identified as a Proud Boys supporter has reportedly been arrested at his Queens, New York home after he allegedly made social media threats about killing newly-elected Georgia senator Raphael Warnock.
A 40-year-old Eduard Florea has been charged with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and has been denied bail. The FBI searched his residence and interviewed him about a series of threats he allegedly made on the social media app Parler about the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Investigators say Florea threatened to deploy “three cars full of armed patriots” to the Capitol last week and was charged with storing military-style combat knives and more than 1,000 rifle rounds in his home.
“The time for peace and civility is over,” Florea wrote, according to a criminal complaint. “I will be reaching out to patriots in my area so we can come up with a game plan.”
Prosecutors also claim Florea promised to travel to Washington D.C. and slice “a throat” at the January 6 riot. The Associated Press reports that in another post alleged to be made by Florea, he threatened Warnock’s life. The details of the threat are currently unclear.
Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff won both of Georgia’s January 5 Senatorial runoff elections, defeating incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The victories turn control of the U.S. Senate over to Democrats once the two take office at the end of the month.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara ordered Florea to be held without bail, claiming evidence recovered suggested “a premeditated plan to exact violence against people in New York and people in Washington.”