A Queens man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to kill former President Donald Trump in several messages to the Secret Service, prosecutors said Monday, January 10, 2022.
Thomas Welnicki, 72, of Rockaway Beach, called the Secret Service from his cellphone on Jan. 4, 2021, leaving two voicemails about his intentions to kill “Individual-1” — which a Brooklyn federal criminal complaint specifies in a footnote is a person who was “President of the United States from January 20, 2017, until January 20, 2021.”
Welnicki on July 21, 2020, initially told the US Capitol Police that “‘if [Individual-1] loses the 2020 election and refused to step down,’ Welnicki would ‘acquire weapons’ and ‘take him down,’” the complaint alleges.
“I am going to do anything I can to take out [Individual-1]. Oh yeah, that’s a threat, come and arrest me,” Welnicki allegedly said on the Jan. 4, 2021, voicemail.
Welnicki also allegedly said there was a $350,000 bounty to kill Trump and 12 members of Congress who helped him, the complaint says.
“I will do anything I can to take out [Individual-1] and his 12 monkeys,” Welnicki allegedly continued in his voicemail. “If I had the opportunity to do it in Manhattan that would be awesome.”
“Tomorrow [Individual-1] will be in Georgia, maybe I will,” he allegedly continued to threaten. “I’m going to Georgia tomorrow, I think [Individual-1] is going to be there.”
On Sept. 24, Welnicki allegedly called the Secret Service from his cell asking about the agency’s protection of Trump and his kids and what weapons they use. He also asked how he could arrange a protest at Trump’s house on Pearl Harbor Day, the criminal complaint alleges.
Then again on Nov. 8, Welnicki allegedly phoned the security agency calling Trump “Hitler” and saying “I will do everything I can to make sure [Individual-1] is dead,” the complaint charges. “There is a contract out to kill [Individual-1].”
On yet another call on Dec. 2, Welnicki said he had a .22-caliber weapon, adding “the new civil war could break out and taking up arms against the government is justified when ballots don’t matter,” the complaint alleges.
Welnicki is scheduled to appear in Brooklyn federal court later Monday.
