A Florida man allegedly threatened to destroy a local mosque one day after the Paris terrorist attacks, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
“My name is Martin Schnitzler… and you are going to fucking die.”
Schnitzler made no attempt to hide his identity while threatening two Islamic houses of worship in the Tampa area, apparently. In fact, it appears he wanted to get caught.
“Come find me, please,” he said in a voicemail obtained by WTSP-TV. “Please report me because I would love it. You’re gonna fucking die.” He called from his personal line, which was fully identified on the caller ID at both the Islamic Center of Pinellas County and the Islamic Society of St. Petersburg.
Court documents obtained by The Daily Beast show that Schnitzler called on Saturday afternoon, referencing upcoming events at the mosques before mentioning “what’s going on in France.”
The tone became much more hostile as the 43-year-old allegedly said he was “going to personally have a militia that is going to come down to your [mosque], firebomb you, [and] shoot whoever is there in the head.”
His professed targets, officials said, included everyone, regardless of whether they are “2 years old or 100.”
Schnitzler has no previous criminal record of violence or making threats.
The FBI looked into the case and found Schnitzler’s threats to lack credibility, it said.
“Our initial review of this matter also disclosed no actual plan or plot to carry out the threats,” FBI spokesman David Couvertier told WFLA. ”We are not aware of any credible Paris-related threats to any of our local communities.”
Federal prosecutors decided to charge Schnitzler though. On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. District Court of Middle Florida charged him with “using a telephone or other instrument of interstate or foreign commerce to convey actual or false threats.”
Schnitzler faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. He was released to home detention on $10,000 bond.