A New York man who received a pardon from President Donald Trump for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was arrested Sunday for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to the New York State Police.
Christopher Moynihan, 34, was arrested for making a terroristic threat, which is a felony, the New York State Police said in a Sunday press release. The State Police were advised of the alleged threat by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force (FBI-JTTF). (RELATED: Hakeem Jeffries Calls Bill To Pay Troops During Shutdown ‘Political Ploy’)
According to charging documents, the FBI received an anonymous tip from an individual who was concerned about Moynihan. Moynihan allegedly wrote, “Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC. I cannot allow this terrorist to live. Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated,” NBC News reported. Jeffries spoke at the Economic Club of New York on Monday, its website shows.
Moynihan was arrested following a “thorough investigation,” the New York State Police said in the same release. Records indicate he is currently being held in the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, according to the State Police.
Moynihan faced six counts, including disorderly conduct for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Moynihan was among a crowd of individuals who “broke through” a police line at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to protest the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Moynihan has “struggled with addiction to opiates,” his attorneys said when he was sentenced for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, CNN reported. A D.C. judge recommended he receive drug abuse and mental health treatment while serving his sentence.
The individual who tipped off the FBI about Moynihan’s alleged threat “suspected narcotic abuse and an increase in the respondent’s homicidal ideations,” according to the same charging documents cited by NBC News.
Moynihan’s recent arrest comes one year and seven months after he was released from federal custody.
Trump commuted the sentences of over 1,000 individuals who participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including Moynihan, CNN reported in January.
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