Man Who Threatened to Murder Trump and ‘Stand Up to Fascism’ Is Charged
Thomas Welnicki threatened to kill, kidnap, and inflict bodily harm
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A man who threatened to kill former President Donald Trump has been charged, according to reports.
Thomas Welnicki, 72, told Police that if Trump didn’t step down, he would “acquire weapons” and “take him down," according to the criminal complaint.
The Department of Justice on Monday said Welnicki faces a federal charge for “knowingly and willfully threaten[ing] to kill, kidnap, and inflict bodily harm upon” former President Donald Trump.
As Law And Crime reported:
An application in support of an arrest warrant suggests that Thomas Welnicki has been on law enforcement’s radar for some time and that he may have been motivated by Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his 2020 election loss.
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The criminal complaint reads:
“During a voluntary interview on or about July 21, 2020, WELNICKI told United States Capitol Police that ‘if [Individual-1]2 loses the 2020 election and refused to step down,’ WELNICKI would ‘acquire weapons’ and ‘take him down.’”
“WELNICKI bragged about how easy it was for him to acquire a firearm and added, ‘I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will stand up to fascism.’ At the end of the interview, WELNICKI stated, ‘I really hope that God takes [Individual-1] out.’”
Welnicki also threatened to kill representatives and/or senators for supporting Trump in voicemail messages to a Secret Service agent.
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He claimed there was a $350,000 reward out to kill Trump along with 12 unidentified members of Congress.
“I am going to do anything I can to take out [Individual-1]. Oh yeah that’s a threat, come and arrest me. I will do anything I can to take out [Individual-1] and his 12 monkeys. . . . If I had the opportunity to do it in Manhattan, that would be awesome. . . . Tomorrow [Individual-1] will be in Georgia, maybe I will,” Welnicki said in one of the messages.
Welnicki is represented by Deirdre Von Dornum of the Brooklyn Federal Defenders office and is expected to be presented during a telephone conference in the Eastern District of New York.
Law and Crime add that documents say the alleged offense occurred “on or about and between September 24, 2021 and December 2, 2021, both dates being approximate and inclusive, within the Eastern District of New York and elsewhere.”
Welnicki is charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 879, which makes it a crime to threaten to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon” a former president.
Prosecutors said Welnicki expressed interest in Trump's demise between July 2020 and December 2021, during and after Trump's presidency, in several voluntary communications with U.S. Capitol Police and the Secret Service.
Welnicki allegedly told Capitol Police in a July 2020 interview that if Trump lost the election and refused to step down, he would "acquire weapons" and "take him down."
The defendant faces a fine and/or up-to five years in prison if convicted.
