NBC New York’s Ray Villeda reports.
A man was arrested after the FBI searched a Queens home Tuesday evening following online threats that were allegedly posted in the aftermath of last week's riots at the U.S. Capitol, law enforcement officials said.
The suspect, identified as Eduard Florea, was arrested by the FBI on a weapons-related charge, a law enforcement official said. An FBI spokesperson would not comment on specific charges, only confirming that an arrest had been made.
The home that was searched is located near Elliot Avenue and 76th Street in Middle Village, the FBI spokesperson said.
Florea, who was believed to be responsible for the online threats, did not appear to have been at the Capitol during the violent protests, a senior law enforcement source said. Some of the postings allegedly talked about organizing an armed caravan to head to Washington D.C. following the protests that resulted in the deaths of five people, two senior law enforcement officials said.
It was not clear Florea had any weapons at the home, nor was it clear if he had any sort of following online. Florea does have a past arrest and conviction on weapons possession charges back in 2014, according to a senior law enforcement official. He was sentenced to a year behind bars after police found more than two dozen weapons in his possession on Staten Island, the senior law enforcement official said.
Investigators with the Joint Terrorism Task Force were at the scene, and their investigation is ongoing.
