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A New York man pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday (August 16) after he made violent social media posts threatening to kill Sen. Raphael Warnock.
Police arrested 41-year-old Eduard Florea after they found the violent death threats he made against the Georgia senator on Parler, a popular online site for conservatives, before and during the January 6 Capitol riot.
“Warnock is going to have a hard time casting votes for communist policies when he’s swinging with [expletive] fish,” Florea wrote online on January 5. Florea is a supporter of the far-right extremist group, The Proud Boys, some of whose members were present and attacked lawmakers at the Capitol in January.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police uncovered a “vast arsenal” in Florea’s home in Queens, including over 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition. Florea pleaded guilty to weapons charges for unlawfully possessing the weapons due to his prior felony conviction, prosecutors said.
“With today’s guilty plea, Florea admits to threatening the life of a successful candidate for the US Senate and to urging others to take up arms to unleash violence at the Capitol,” Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement, per the AJC.
Florea’s arrest in January came as the Department of Justice began a nationwide manhunt for people who participated in the deadly violence at the Capitol. Since then, hundreds have been found, arrested, and charged.
Sen. Warnock was the target of many conservatives after his and Sen. Jon Ossoff's wins in state runoffs secured an even split in the Senate.
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