Police raid the house of Eduard Florea, 41, in Middle Village on Jan. 12, 2021, following online statements he made about carrying out violent attacks in Washington (Citizen)
Dec. 17, 2021 By Christian Murray
A Middle Village man who posted online statements about leading an armed group of “patriots” to Washington and killing a U.S. senator has been sentenced in Brooklyn federal court to 33 months in prison.
Eduard Florea, 41, was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty in August to a weapons charge and making threats—after federal investigators nabbed him after uncovering some of his online postings.
Investigators found a series of threatening online statements he made on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, where he called for the killing of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.
His statements came just after Warnock had been elected in one of Georgia’s run-off elections — and just prior to the violence unleashed on the Capitol.
According to court documents, Florea posted statements such as “dead men can’t pass [expletive] laws” about Warnock as well as “the time for peace and civility is over … it’s time to unleash some violence.”
He made these posts under the username “LoneWolfWar” on the now-suspended Parler app. He also wrote that he was organizing an armed group to descend on D.C.
“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,” Florea wrote on Jan. 6 — the day violent supporters stormed the Capitol.
Florea, a self-proclaimed Proud Boy, was arrested Jan. 12 at his home on 76th Street near Eliot Avenue. The FBI raided his house and found that he illegally possessed thousands of rounds of ammunition.
He pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threats to injure as well as one count of possessing ammunition after having been convicted of a felony.
“With today’s sentence, the defendant faces serious consequences for threatening the life of U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock as part of his effort to foment violence at the Capital on Jan. 6, 2021 in connection with attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement Thursday.
“This Office is deeply committed to protecting our democratic institutions and preserving our democracy, and will vigorously prosecute those who would undermine our founding principles as a nation by threatening the safety of our elected representatives or those who seek elected office.”
Florea had a previous gun possession conviction. In 2014, police found more than a dozen illegal firearms — including at least one machine gun —in his possession.
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