A New York man was arrested and remains in FBI custody for what authorities say is his involvement in plotting a potential second attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Eduard Florea, a 40-year-old father of two and software engineer was arrested in front of his Queens home on Jan. 12. He has been charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.
Florea reportedly had recently posted threats to the Parler platform, a Twitter alternative popular among right-wingers.
Under a post that said “F–K RAPHAEL WARNOCK LOSER,” Florea responded, “Dead men can’t pass sh-t laws,” The New York Post reported.
Senator-elect Raphael Warnock made history this month when he became the first Black man in Georgia history to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
“Let’s go…I will be reaching out to patriots in my area so we can come up with a game plan . . . Here in New York we are target rich…Dead men can’t pass sh-t laws…I will fight so help me god,” Florea reportedly wrote. “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.”
An armored FBI vehicle went to Florea’s home Tuesday to bring him into custody. Agents seized more than 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, two dozen shotgun rounds, 75 military-style combat knives, two hatchets and two swords. Florea’s prior felony is a 2014 criminal possession of a weapon charge.
“They got him. They put him up against the car and they marched him over,” one of Florea’s neighbors told WLNY.
Locals said authorities had been scoping out Florea’s home for days.
“A black SUV kept on going around the block,” one said.
Florea did not attend the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but reportedly he wrote on Parler that day, “I will be reaching out to patriots… so we can come up with a game plan. Here in New York we are target rich… got a bunch of guys all armed and ready to deploy.”
Assistant US Attorney Francisco Navarro said Florea wants to be a member of the Proud Boys but hasn’t attended enough meetings to satisfy membership requirements.
US Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara said Florea will be held without bail and called him a “significant danger to the community.”
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Florea’s wife of six years, Joni Florea, told The New York Post on Thursday that she is divorcing her husband after learning about his online threats.
“I totally believe that he plotted to do this,” she said, adding that Florea has always been an “angry man.”
