New York man pleads guilty to posting threats against Warnock and Congress
Then-Georgia US Senate Democratic Candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock meets with supporters on January 5
By Tierney Sneed, CNN
A New York man has pleaded guilty after posting online violent threats against Congress and newly elected Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in the lead-up to and during the January 6 insurrection, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
Eduard Florea posted several violent comments from his Parler account, under the name “LoneWolfWar,” on January 5 and 6, according to court filings.
Some of those comments, according to the filings, were aimed at Warnock, whose win in Georgia on January 5 helped secure control of the chamber for Democrats.
“Warnok [sic] is going to have a hard time casting votes for communist policies when he’s swinging with the f***ing fish,” Florea wrote, according to a January 22 indictment.
Florea commented on another Parler user’s post about Warnock with the remark, “Dead man can pass s**t laws,” according to the filings. As the Capitol siege was underway on January 6, he posted several more comments about traveling to Washington to “attack from all sides” and to “unleash some violence,” according to the indictment. Court filings indicate Florea did not participate in the insurrection at the Capitol.
The US Attorney’s office for Eastern District of New York said Monday that Florea had pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threats to injure and one count of possessing ammunition after having been convicted of a felon. Florea could face up to 15 years in prison, but a spokesperson for the prosecutors told CNN in an email that the estimated sentencing guideline is 15-21 months.
Florea is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29.
CNN’s attempts to reach Florea’s attorney were unsuccessful.
Warnock’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“With today’s guilty plea, Florea admits to threatening the life of a successful candidate for the U.S. Senate and to urging others to take up arms to unleash violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to thwart the results of the Presidential election,” acting US Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said in a statement.
Before the threatening comments about Warnock, Florea posted on Parler on January 5 that “We need to all come to an agreement . . . and go armed . . . and really take back Washington,” according to the indictment.
During the hours that the Capitol was being ransacked, Florea continued to post threatening comments including, “we need to regroup outside of DC and attack from all sides… talking to some other guys….I will keep watching for the signal,” according to prosecutors.
Other comments, according to the court filings, said: “The time for peace and civility is over . . . . / 3 cars full of armed patriots are enroute from NY / 3 cars of armed patriots heading into DC from NY / Guns cleaned loaded . . . got a bunch of guys all armed and ready to deploy . . . we are just waiting for the word.”
The FBI executed a search warrant on Florea’s home in Queens on January 12 and he was found to be in possession of about 1,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the court filings.
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