A 66-year-old Virginia man faces federal charges after allegedly threatening to set Vice President Kamala Harris on fire and “pluck out her eyes,” then making similar online threats against President Joe Biden and FBI Director Christopher Wray before changing his tune when FBI agents showed up at his front door.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Frank Lucio Carillo was taken into custody at his Winchester home on Aug. 2 after he allegedly made threats on social media against Harris, the U.S. vice president and presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.
Agents said the man was stunned and softened up his attitude when they served the federal warrant on his home less than a week after threats were made against Harris on the right-wing social media site GETTR.
Charged under 18 U.S. Code § 871 for “knowingly and willfully making threats to kill or inflict bodily harm on the Vice President of the United States,” Carillo faces up to five years in prison.
Court documents state that Carillo made a series of threats “on or about July 27” — just six days after Biden announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed Harris as his successor.
Carillo, who made his first court appearance on Aug. 5, is accused of making violent threats on GETTR against Harris, Biden, Wray, and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, an Arizona Republican who had previously dismissed claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
The arrest follows a recent assassination attempt on 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and reignited concerns about political violence.
Carillo is accused of making more than a dozen vicious threats against Harris following her takeover as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“Kamala Harris needs to be put on fire alive I will do it personally if no one else does it I want her to suffer a slow agonizing death,” Carillo allegedly wrote in the post on the right-wing platform, which was quickly flagged by the FBI.
Carillo’s account referenced Harris at least 19 times, with one post claiming she would “regret ever trying to become president,” according to investigators.
In another disturbing post, Carillo said Harris doesn’t “have a snowballs chance in hell which is exactly where you’re going and soon,” adding, “I will cut your eyes out of your F—ING head” and “will make sure you suffer a slow agonizing death,” according to court papers.
In another post, he allegedly said he would “personally” set Harris on fire “if no one else does[.]”
In a third post, Carillo allegedly said Harris is “going to regret ever trying to become president because if that ever happened I will personally pluck out her eyes with a pair of pliers but first I will shoot and kill everyone that gets in my way that is a f—king promise.”
A final post mentioned in the complaint was allegedly made by Carillo on July 27, which read: “Crapler Harris is laying [sic] thieving piece of garbage like the rest of this administration they all need to die and they will soon.”
Less than a week after the threats were posted, Carillo received an unexpected knock at his door from federal authorities.
After being handcuffed, Carillo immediately connected the dots to his comments on social media, asking if this was “about the online stuff I posted,” according to court papers.
“Over a comment,” he complained.
Agents said Carillo began lamenting his sudden change in fortune.
“For a comment?” he sulked, according to details in the arrest report. “This is ridiculous, for a comment,” Carillo continued. “I guess I’m gonna need a lawyer,” he said in disgust before asking, “This is all over a comment, huh?”
As agents began snooping through his belongings, Carillo griped that the raid was “ridiculous,” but his demeanor was notably more subdued than the aggressive tone he had used online.
During the raid, investigators seized an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun.
The alleged comments by Carillo on GETTR were part of a broader collection of 4,359 threatening social media messages identified by the FBI, targeting various individuals and groups, including several directed at Harris following her ascension as Biden’s heir apparent.
For now, Carillo does not face charges for the alleged threats made against President Biden and FBI Director Wray, but it was not clear if prosecutors would pursue those allegations at a later time.
The investigation began after the FBI’s Phoenix field office was notified of threats Carillo allegedly made against Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a prominent elections official known for countering election fraud claims and gaining attention in right-wing circles.
