NY man charged with threatening to kill Muslim lawmaker Ilhan Omar
NEW YORK - A 55-year-old New York man has been arrested and charged with threatening to assault and murder Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, a Muslim U.S. Congress member from Minnesota, federal prosecutors said.
Patrick Carlineo Jr. of Addison, New York, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday in a statement.
According to prosecutors, Carlineo spoke by telephone with one of Omar's staff members on March 21 and asked the employee: "Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she's a (expletive) terrorist. I'll put a bullet in her (expletive) skull."
The threat was referred to the U.S. Capitol Police, which launched a probe in coordination with the FBI, the Justice Department said.
Carlineo sounded angry during the phone call but also spelled his name for the staff member and provided contact details, according to an affidavit by an FBI special agent.
