The United States Secret Service arrested a 72-year-old man in New York on Monday after he allegedly called the agency by phone threatening to kill former President Donald Trump, according to a criminal indictment.
Prosecutors in Brooklyn say Thomas Welnicki “knowingly and deliberately threatened to kill, kidnap and inflict bodily harm” on the former US president.
They allege that Melnick told the US Capitol Police during an interview in July 2020 that if Trump “loses the 2020 election and refuses to resign,” he would “acquire weapons and bring him down.”
Trump is referred to as “Individual-1” in the indictment.
Melnick is also accused of leaving two voicemails at the Secret Service office on Long Island, New York, in January of last year, where he “threatened to kill” Trump and 12 unidentified members of Congress.
“Oh yeah that’s a threat, come and arrest me. I’ll do everything I can to finish off [Individuo-1] and his 12 monkeys, “said Melnick, who lives in Queens.
Melnick is also accused of calling the Secret Service office in New York three times from his cell phone last November, introducing himself by name each time.
“He repeatedly referred to Individual-1 as’ Hitler ‘and said,’ I will do everything I can to make sure that [el Individuo-1] is dead, “the indictment reads.
In another call last month, he claimed that “the new Civil War could break out, and taking up arms against the government is justified when the ballots don’t count.”
He added that he used to have a 22-caliber firearm, according to the indictment.
Melnick was indicted on the charges in Brooklyn federal court via video conference later Monday and was to be released on a $ 50,000 bond.
As part of the conditions of his bail, he was ordered to house arrest at night and to carry a geolocation device.
In addition, he was ordered to seek mental health support and treatment for any addiction to alcohol or drugs, a spokesman for the prosecution said.
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