Staten Island

NYC Man Allegedly Posted Online Threats to Kill Democrats, Protesters and Police

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A Staten Island man has been charged with making threats to "blow away" those who celebrated the victory of President-Elect Joe Biden, and to "exterminate" Democrats and their families, court papers allege.

Brian Maiorana was charged Tuesday in a federal complaint with threatening to kill — or ordering others on social media to kill — protesters, Democrats, politicians and law enforcement members, according to papers filed by the Eastern District of New York. He allegedly targeted politicians such as New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, law enforcement officials said.

"The Department of Justice will not stand idly by when people like the defendant allegedly threaten to kill elected officials, lawful protesters and law enforcement simply because of animus towards the outcome of an election," Acting United States Attorney Seth DuCharme said. "Americans have a constitutional right to voice their opinions, but this Office will not tolerate violence or threats of violence used to intimidate others with whom they disagree."

The threats started back in September and lasted until after Election Day, according to the charges. On Oct. 19, Maiorana posted on social media that it has "come to the point where pipe bombs need to be thrown into these mobs of potentially non violent violent protesters," court papers said, presumably referencing protests that have been taking place since the summer after the police killing of George Floyd.

Two days after Election Day, Nov. 5, the 54-year-old added that the "carnage needs to come in the form of extermination of anyone that claims to be a democrat," as well as their family members, the charges read. Three days later, Maiorana referenced Sen. Schumer as "the Jew Senator from Jew York," and said that nothing was off the table, including even blowing up the FBI headquarters.

He went on to call on others to "stop being on the defensive ... defensive action is a position of weakness. We must take offensive action starting now. All of you know what that is," after making references to a "Cartridge Box," which was used as another term for ammunition.

"All the alphabet agencies assassination will become the new normal now...that the electoral process is finished," one post read. That same day, he wrote that "all right thinking people need to hit the streets while these scumbags are celebrating and start blowing them away," referring to those were who had been celebrating the outcome of the presidential election.

The man posted threats to kill Democrats after the election, in particular targeting New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, and wanting to shoot or bomb protesters. NBC New York's Jonathan Dienst reports.

Maiorana also said that "The Turner Diaries must come to life," referencing a 1978 novel about a violent revolution and overthrow of the U.S. government which leads to nuclear war and ultimately a race war which ends with all non-white people being exterminated. The work of fiction has become influential in white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, according to the court papers, and has been cited as the inspiration behind numerous acts of violence and terror, such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Back in June, responded to a post on a New York militia website under the name "Proud Patriot Sailor" that he had ordered a machine "to start manufacturing implements of war," the charges read, describing the device as a part for making a gun.

Maiorana was previously convicted in 2007 of statutory sexual assault, and is a registered sex offender in New York. He had a pistol permit issued in Orange County in 1992, but given his felony conviction, is still prohibited from owning any guns or ammunition. Financial records show that Maiorana bought gun parts for a semi-automatic handgun in June and July earlier this year, court papers said, and that in Nov. 2018 he purchased a crossbow as well as combat boots and various military patches.

"Mr. Maiorana's online posts called for violence against our entire community—protestors, politicians, and law enforcement officers alike. His alleged threats are disturbing and far outside of acceptable norms, but they also violated federal law," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney. "A word of advice to those who haven’t yet figured this out — the FBI will carry out our mission to protect the public’s safety and our constitutional right to disagree with one another, but we will not tolerate threats and acts of violence."

Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the FBI and the NYPD, arrested Maiorana at 6 a.m. Tuesday at his Staten Island home. Neighbors said they rarely saw him in the neighborhood.

He appeared before a judge in a Brooklyn federal court in the evening, and was ordered detained. His attorney, James Darrow, did not seek bail and did not wish to comment on the allegations.

Maiorana will be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, with a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 24.

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