NEW YORK – A man in New York has been arrested by federal authorities after he allegedly threatened to murder or incited others to murder members of Congress, according to the criminal complaint released Tuesday.
The man, identified as Brendan Hunt, was arrested in Queens following an FBI raid, but was not at the site on the US Capitol on January 6, authorities said Tuesday. The alleged threats were made in a series of posts on various social networking websites under the alias “X-Ray Ultra” between December 6 and January 12.
BREAKING: Feds charge Brendan Hunt of NY with threatening murder against federal officials. Hunt allegedly called for execution of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, AOC… a slaughter of Senate.. and called to “take up arms” for Biden Inaugural pic.twitter.com/VhfjSYBPAu
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) January 19, 2021
–
Several publications indicated that Hunt, a full-time employee of the New York State Office of Court Administration who dabbles in film acting part-time, believed in President Donald Trump’s widely controversial claims of a “rigged election “and he wanted revenge on the Democrats involved in the process. He listed several by name in at least one Facebook post, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Get the firing squads in motion, take down these communists and take America back,” the December publication read. He also called for the “public execution” of those officials. Another post from early December ranted about the coronavirus “lockdown” and encouraged people who felt the same way to “pursue a high-value goal.” Once again, he listed the names of Pelosi, Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez, documents show.
Two days after the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill, Hunt reportedly posted an 88-second video titled “KILLING YOUR SENATORS” on a video-sharing site. He speaks directly to that camera in that clip and urges people to “pick up their guns” and return to the Capitol when the full Senate is in session to shoot them, the complaint says.
“If anyone has a gun, give it to me. I’ll go there myself, shoot them and kill them,” Hunt allegedly said. A phone registered to Hunt was located at or near his residence in Queens at the time the video was uploaded, documents show.
Hunt is also accused of calling for violence at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday in that video.
Authorities were executing a search warrant at Hunt’s apartment on Tuesday. At least eight FBI agents were seen entering a home on Gates Avenue as part of the investigation.
Hunt is expected to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. Federal charges have been filed in court in Washington, DC Information about a possible attorney for him was not immediately available.
The New York State court system confirmed that Hunt worked as an assistant court analyst in the attorney registration unit. You have been suspended without pay.
Federal authorities have been working to curb the violence after the deadly siege of the Capitol earlier this month. Last week, another man in Queens was arrested by the FBI after being charged with storing military-style combat knives and more than 1,000 rifle cartridges in his New York home.
Eduard Florea, 40, was charged with possession of ammunition as a convicted felon and was denied bail after the FBI searched his Queens home and interviewed him about a series of threats regarding the deadly siege of the State Capitol. States who said he did on the social network Parler.
– .
