
A 41-year-old Toledo, Ohio, man was charged Friday in a federal case alleging he made criminal threats against U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Facebook.
According to federal authorities, suspect
Timothy J. Ireland Jr., 41, announced on
social media, “She ought to be
shot. Can’t fire me, my employer would load the gun on behalf of me.”
The statement was brought to the eye of U.S.A. Capitol Police on July 23, and
federal authorities launched an investigation. An affidavit in
support of the complaint against Ireland describes how Capitol Police agent Lawrence Anyaso
phoned Ireland August 2nd to ask if
the post was his.
Politics Trump steps up attacks on progressive congresswomen,
says they ‘hate our country’ and Israel.
He “stated he was terribly pleased with that post he created,” the affidavit says.
Asked if he owns a gun, the suspect said he does and
carries it concealed, which might be a crime because Ireland is a felon prohibited from carrying
firearms, in step with the affidavit.
Ireland was convicted in Florida in
1996 for “dealing in stolen
property,” and he had active warrants, one for violating
probation in that case
and another for failing to appear in a marijuana possession case in
Cook County, Georgia, in step with the
charging document.
On Thursday,
agents went to Ireland’s
Toledo home, where they arrested him and executed a search warrant that turned up ammunition however no guns, they said.
The ammunition was enough to charge him with
suspicion of being a felon in possession of a gun and being a fugitive in possession of a firearm, in line with the charging
document.
Ocasio-Cortez has not commented on the case.
“There is completely no place in the marketplace of ideas for threats of violence against any individual, particularly those who are elected to represent the American individuals,” said Justin
Herdman, U.S. attorney for
the Northern District of Ohio, in
a statement.
“Disagreement on political problems cannot result in acts of violence, and
if it does, we’ll seek federal prison time,”
he said.
Federal prosecutors did not estimate a possible sentence if Ireland is condemned because it has “factors distinctive to the
current case, together
with the defendant’s previous criminal record,” in step with a statement from the U.S.
Attorney’s office.