A man from Toledo, Ohio, was charged Friday with illegally stockpiling ammunition and for making threats against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), whom he said “should be shot.”
Timothy J. Ireland, 41 was also charged in U.S. District Court “with being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a fugitive in possession of a firearm, and making interstate threats,” the Toledo Blade reported. The interstate threat charge was related to his statements regarding Ocasio-Cortez.
Ireland faces up to 25 years in prison – the threat charge has a maximum sentence of five years and each firearms charge has a maximum sentence of 10 years, according to the Blade. More from the outlet:
The United States Capitol Police received information on July 23 that threatening statements were posted on Facebook, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. The statements were perceived to be threats against Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.
A screen shot was provided to Capitol Police of a news story related to the congressman with linked comments that stated: “She should be shot. Can’t fire me, my employer would load the gun for me.”
The statement was made from a Facebook page whose listed user was Tim Ireland of Toledo, according to the complaint. U.S. Capitol Police officers stated in the complaint that Ireland admitted in a call with them on Aug. 2 to making the statement and that “he was very proud of that post he made.” He also said he has firearms and always carries them concealed, according to the complaint.
Neither Ireland’s attorney, nor Ocasio-Cortez’s office commented for the Blade article.
Ocasio-Cortez is one of conservatives’ most disliked congresswomen due to her consistently false statements and radical policy proposals.
She was previously included on a hit list compiled by a self-proclaimed white nationalist, Christopher Paul Hasson, who was arrested in February. Hasson had read the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, a right-wing terrorist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011. The former U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant also included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), whom he referred to as “Sen blumen jew,” on the list.
Ocasio-Cortez is part of a “squad” of four congresswomen who routinely spout anti-Semitic language. Another member of the squad, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), received a threat from a 55-year-old New York man.
In April, Patrick W. Carlineo, Jr., was arrested for allegedly calling Omar’s office the previous month, asking her staffer if the congresswoman was a terrorist, and suggesting he’d “put a bullet in her [expletive] skull.” Carlineo’s threats could land him up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.