Proud Boys supporter sentenced to jail for social media threats to kill Sen. Warnock

A New York man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for making social media threats against a Georgia U.S. Senator.

A federal judge sentenced Eduard Florea to 33 months in prison.

Florea posted threatening statements to social media app Parler about killing elected officials, including now-United States Sen. Raphael Warnock, and committing other acts of violence in Washington D.C., after the 2020 election results.

According to prosecutors, Florea applied to join the Proud Boys, a far-right group, but was not yet a member because he had not attended the requisite number of meetings.

On the night before the Capitol riots, Florea posted several messages about going armed and taking back Washington. He also posted at 11:53 p.m. that “Warnock is going to have a hard time casting votes for communist policies when he’s swinging with the (expletive) fish.”

The next morning, at approximately 12:42 a.m., Florea referenced Warnock again and stated, “Dead men can’t pass (expletive) laws...”

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Florea did not travel to Washington D.C., on Jan 6. But investigators obtained more messages posted by Florea’s account between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. as the Capitol riots continued.

• Mine are ready….I am ready…. we need to regroup outside of DC and attack from all sides… talking to some other guys….I will keep watching for the signal.”
• “I am awaiting my orders…armed and ready to deploy….”
• “Guns cleaned loaded . . . got a bunch of guys all armed and ready to deploy . . . we are just waiting for the word”
• “Me and some guys are gearing up to head in. . . . where are you . . . 3 cars already are enroute . . . .all armed.”
• “It’s time to unleash some violence.”

On Jan. 12, FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a search warrant at Florea’s home in Queens.

The search revealed that Florea, who had been previously convicted of a New York state firearms-related felony, illegally possessed more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Florea pleaded guilty in August to one count of transmitting threats to injure and one count of possessing ammunition after having been convicted of a felony.

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