A Queens man who informed federal brokers he needed to hitch the far-right Proud Boys group was charged with a weapons offense on Wednesday after m
A Queens man who informed federal brokers he needed to hitch the far-right Proud Boys group was charged with a weapons offense on Wednesday after messages he posted on social media across the time of the Capitol riot raised alarms, in line with prosecutors and courtroom paperwork.
The person, Eduard Florea, had been detained late Tuesday after a search of his house turned up an arsenal of over 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, two dozen shotgun rounds, 75 military-style fight knives, two hatchets and two swords, prosecutors mentioned. No gun was discovered.
The arrest of Mr. Florea, a 40-year-old software program engineer, got here amid an intensifying nationwide manhunt for individuals who broke into the U.S. Capitol final week as a part of a violent rampage by supporters of President Trump who needed to overturn the election outcomes.
Although Mr. Florea was not one of many quite a few folks being pursued for collaborating within the riot, regulation enforcement officers thought-about him menacing sufficient to reach in an armored car at his house to arrest him.
Among the many feedback that brought about the authorities concern and prompted the search of his home, the criticism says, was one wherein Mr. Florea appeared to threaten the Rev. Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, simply earlier than Mr. Warnock was declared the winner of a U.S. Senate seat.
At round 1 a.m. on Jan. 6, whereas posting below the identify “LoneWolfWar” in a bunch thread about Mr. Warnock on the social media web site Parler, the criticism says, Mr. Florea wrote that “lifeless males can’t go legal guidelines,” with an obscenity added for emphasis.
Later that day, additionally on Parler, Mr. Florea wrote of getting three automobiles of “armed patriots” in a “caravan” headed to Washington, the criticism says. Because the Capitol riot unfolded, he wrote that the time for peace and civility was over and that “right here in New York we’re goal wealthy.”
“I’ll struggle so assist me god,” he added.
At a bail listening to in Federal District Courtroom in Brooklyn that was held remotely, Mr. Florea’s lawyer identified the F.B.I. had concluded that her shopper, regardless of his on-line bravado, didn’t have a automotive and had not gone to Washington.
Nonetheless, the tenor of his social media feedback was ominous sufficient to intensify the authorities’ curiosity, particularly when matched together with his standing as a felon, in line with prosecutors and the criticism.
Mr. Florea is now charged federally with being a felon in possession of ammunition. If convicted, he faces as much as 10 years in jail, prosecutors mentioned.