Getty/Facebook Patrick Carlineo is accused of threatening to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Patrick Carlineo Jr. is a 55-year-old Trump supporter from New York who is accused of threatening to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar. The first-term Congresswoman from Minnesota is the first Muslim woman and first Somali-American to be elected to the House of Representatives and has been a frequent target of President Donald Trump and his Republican allies. Carlineo was arrested April 5 and charged with threatening to assault and murder a United States official, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York said in a press release.
Carlineo, of Addison, New York, in Steuben County, near Rochester, called Omar’s D.C. office on March 21 and threatened to shoot and kill the congresswoman, prosecutors said. The threat was passed along to the FBI for an investigation and that led to Carlineo’s arrest on a criminal complaint.
Carlineo, a singer and songwriter, has a long history of anti-Muslim posts on social media, including some calling for violence and harm against those who practice Islam. Carlineo was interviewed by the FBI and told agents, “he was a patriot, that he loves the President, and that he hates radical Muslims in our government,” according to court documents. Carlineo had a .22 caliber rifle and a shotgun in his home, the FBI said.
Omar, one of several Democrats elected as the party retook the House in November 2018, has not issued an official statement about the arrest. But on Twitter, Omar retweeted radio host Ahmed Bedier, who shared a link to a story about the case and wrote, “Anti-Muslim rhetoric from #trump @GOP @FoxNews and others can kill. consequences Feds Arrest. Thank God this Trump fan was arrested before he could Kill Rep. @IlhanMN #Islamophobia.”
She also retweeted a tweet about Trump calling her out during a speech on Saturday, adding, “My Lord, forgive my people for they do not know.”
Here’s what you need to know about Patrick Carlineo:
1. Carlineo Asked Omar’s Staffer If She ‘Worked for the Muslim Brotherhood’ & Then Said About Omar, ‘I’ll Put a Bullet in Her F*cking Skull,’ the FBI Says
According to the criminal complaint filed in federal court against Patrick Carlineo, the threatening phone call was made to Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s office on March 21, 2019, about 12:20 p.m. According to the complaint, Carlineo identified himself as Pat Carlineo and said to an Omar staff member, “Do you work for the Muslim brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she’s a f*cking terrorist. I’ll put a bullet in her f*cking skull.”
The staff member told the FBI that Carlineo sounded angry, but spelled his name and provided contact information. Investigators traced the phone used to a woman in New York and an address where Carlineo lives, according to court documents.
On March 29, FBI agents interviewed Carlineo at his home. Carlineo told the agents he said he told the staff member, “if our forefathers were still alive, they’d put a bullet in her head.” He denied making the statement the FBI said he made during the call. But then when asked by the FBI what the agents would hear when they listened to the call he said he “would be honest, and that he was angry, and could not remember exactly what he said. Carlineo then said he might have said something like the quote shown to him by FBI agents.
You can read the full criminal complaint below:
2. He Has Posted Islamaphobic Rants & Anti-Muslim Attacks on His Facebook Page for Several Years, Including a Post Saying ‘F*ck You Muslims, Don’t Like It Here, Leave. This Is America’
Patrick Carlineo.
Patrick Carlineo has a long history of writing Islamaphobic rants on Facebook and also writing anti-Muslim attacks, along with sharing anti-Muslim conspiracy theories. His posts about his hatred for Muslims and Islam date back to before the Trump administration.
In October 2016, he shared a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton’s aide, Huma Abedin, was working with the “Muslim Brotherhood,” and was a “spy.”
In February 2018, Carlineo complained about Muslims following him on Facebook. He often posted about an apparent concern that Muslims were adding him as a friend. “Go to settings, hit block …type in ‘following me’….don’t know why a bunch of muslims are following me everyday but just stop by the house I’m having pulled pork,” he wrote. In the comments, he joked about having a “canned ham cannon,” while other friends also reported having received friend requests from “them.”
On March 1, 2018, he posted, “I’m currently not accepting friend requests from the following 1. people from middle eastern countries 2. really hot women that have 1 friend on facebook 3. Anyone with a joint facebook account 4.And people with no profile pic. Thank you and have a great day.”
3. Carlineo’s Facebook Page Also Includes Posts About His Love for President Trump Along With Racist Rants Against Black People & Conspiracy Theories About President Obama Being Muslim
Patrick Carlineo.
Along with anti-Muslim posts, Patrick Carlineo has often written about his love and support for President Donald Trump and the Republican party, along with comments attacking and criticizing Democrats, especially President Barack Obama. He also shared debunked conspiracy theories, including about Obama really being Muslim. Additional posts include racist rants against black people.
In April 2018, Carlineo bashed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, by sharing a meme featuring actor James Woods that was criticizing Cuomo’s comments about wanting to represent every New Yorker, including Muslims, Jewish people, black people, gay people and women. Carlineo wrote, “HE’S GOT TO GO!”
In November 2017, Carlineo wrote on Facebook, “So why wasn’t the National Anthem offensive when obama was president? F*ck the NAAPC [sic].” When his uncle left a comment saying Carlineo had a “lot of hate built up,” Carlineo launched into a racist rant:
No I just get sick of hearing the anti-Trump silverbacks crying every fucking day about bullsh*t. The NAACP is a bunch of racist motherf*ckers that act like they just came out of the cotton fields. This president has done more by himself than the muslim did in 8 years. So tired of hearing the lies. It’s not hate Uncle…, it’s just hearing enough of the resistance antifa f*gs, etc. Democrats only obstruct, that’s not what our founding fathers wanted I’m sure. You guys still cheerlead for a muslim plant that gave Iran 150 billion in cash, went and played golf with a smirk when that guy was burned alive. Hard to believe you would support a man that hates Christians. But he is a good speaker.
In a June 2016 post about a judge who was involved in a case with then-candidate Trump, Carlineo wrote he was, “Hand picked by the muslim obama.”
His page also includes several pro-gun posts and memes attacking gun control advocates. After the Parkland shooting, he shared a meme from the “Drain the Swamp” page criticizing the students who organized protests. He wrote, “I’m not knocking the kids for being upset I just think they shouldn’t use these kids emotions to push a political agenda and I also think that some of these kids are being scripted to say certain things.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeMustDrainTheSwamp/permalink/846171305573674/
Carlineo posted a meme in October 2016 with the words, “grab today by the p*ssy.” When one of his friends called the comment sexist and insensitive, Carlineo shot back, “The truth only pisses of liberals…fact check that.”
4. He Is a Musician Who Has Performed With Multiple Bands at Local Bars Near His Hometown
Patrick Carlineo.
According to his Facebook page, Carlineo is a musician. He describes himself as a singer and songwriter and says he is from Corning, New York, which is about 15 minutes away from Addison, where federal authorities say he was living at the time of his arrest.
Carlineo has performed with multiple bands at several venues around his hometown and has also traveled to perform as a musician and recorded songs. His most recent band appears to have been called “Pat Carlineo and the Wiseguys,” according to social media posts. Carlineo plays blues music and would often perform at jam sessions, he wrote on Facebook.
It is not known if Carlineo has any previous criminal history. Carlineo has a son and daughter, according to his Facebook page. He has not posted publicly on Facebook since August 2018. Many of his posts were complaining about being temporarily suspended from using the social media site because his posts were being reported. In one post, in June 2018, Carlineo wrote, “Out of facebook prison, which spineless snowflake will be offended today? I couldn’t care less.” Several comments left on the post have mocked Carlineo after his real arrest.
Carlineo wrote on Facebook in 2018, “I’m not sorry for having feelings…I’m sorry I shared them.”
5. Carlineo Remains in Custody & Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison if Convicted
Patrick Carlineo remains in federal custody. He faces up to 10 years in prison along with a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted of the charge of threatening to assault and murder a United States official. According to prosecutors, “The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 10, 2019, at 10:30 a.m.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey. “The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the United States Capitol Police, under the direction of Matthew R. Verderosa. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release.
It is not clear if Carlineo has hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf and he could not be reached for comment by Heavy. A call to a number listed in public records for Carlineo was not answered.
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