A Michigan man has been arrested on allegations that he threatened to kill FBI Director Kash Patel through a series of disturbing messages and threats directed at federal authorities.
Anthony Daniel Palazzolo, 42, was taken into custody Friday after allegedly sending threatening Facebook messages to an associate of Patel earlier this month, prosecutors said.
Alleged threats made against FBI Director
According to U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Palazzolo allegedly sent multiple messages claiming he intended to target the FBI. In one of the messages, he reportedly referred to Patel as a “dead mf” and claimed he had “put a hit out” on the FBI director.
Investigators also allege that Palazzolo made threatening remarks during a phone conversation with an FBI agent, warning that he planned to visit the bureau’s Detroit field office.
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Suspect allegedly threatened Federal officials
During the call, Palazzolo, who resides in Chesterfield Township, allegedly told the agent he would “use deadly force against every single one of you government officials—FBI Secret Service will all be f[——] killed.”
The alleged threats prompted an investigation by federal authorities, ultimately leading to his arrest.
Palazzolo appears in Federal Court
Palazzolo appeared before a federal court on Friday following his arrest. He was temporarily detained.
The allegations against him are now moving through the federal judicial process.
Anthony Daniel Palazzolo criminal history
The FBI revealed that Palazzolo has an extensive criminal history involving cases in Michigan, Texas and Florida. His previous offenses reportedly include a 2018 charge for making a false report of a terrorist threat, as well as a separate incident involving an alleged fabricated bomb threat.
Palazzolo’s case comes amid a growing number of federal prosecutions involving threats against public officials.
Figures from the University of Nebraska Omaha’s National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center and Chapman University, cited by The Daily Mail, state that federal authorities have pursued more than 850 cases involving such threats since 2013.
The data also show that 133 cases were recorded last year, marking a new high. The number of cases this year is reportedly on track to surpass that record.