NEW YORK, April 7 (NNN-TELESUR) — 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 US$250,000 fine if convicted, the U.S. Department of Justice said 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 terrorist. I’ll put a bullet in her 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.
Interviewed at his home by FBI investigators, Carlineo “stated that he was a patriot, that he loves the President, and that he hates radical Muslims in our government,” the affidavit said.
According to the report, Carlineo stood his ground, telling officers that “if our forefathers were still alive, they’d put a bullet in her head.”
The FBI also found two fire arms in his apartment in upstate New York.
Carlineo made an initial court appearance on Friday and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 10.
Rep. Ilhan Omar is one of two first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress. She faced fierce attack following her criticism of a pro-israel lobby that quickly turned towards racist remarks against her on News networks such as Fox News and Social Media. — NNN-TELESUR
