Virginia Man Indicted for Making Threats Against Public Officials

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Charlottesville returned an indictment yesterday charging a Winchester, Virginia man with making online threats to kill, kidnap, or injure Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Barrack Obama.

According to court documents, Frank Lucio Carillo, 66, is charged with 14 counts—five counts of making threats against Vice President Kamala Harris, five counts of interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure Vice President Harris, two counts of making threats against former President Obama and two counts of interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure former President Obama.

According to court documents, Carillo used the social media platform GETTR to post thousands of messages using the name “joemadarats1.” GTTR is publicly accessible, and users can post articles, statements, and links to other websites, as well as comment on and reply to other users’ posts.

On July 27, 2024, FBI Phoenix received information concerning a threat made against an employee of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office that was made on GETTR by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”

FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts, comments, and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barrack Obama

In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”

Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to determine that the “joemadarats1” username was used by Carillo at his residence in Winchester, Virginia.

On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement today.

The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.