A Tampa man is jailed without bond after federal prosecutors say he went online and threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other government officials, then refused to walk any of it back when questioned by law enforcement.
Identified in court records as Joshua Quinn, the suspect allegedly kept his stance even during an interview with authorities, according to court documents cited by Tampa Bay 28. Prosecutors asked a judge to hold Quinn without bond, arguing he poses a danger to the community and warning that threats aimed at law enforcement and public officials must be treated "with urgency" to protect public safety.
Prosecutors Emphasize Public-Safety Risk
Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida say they pursue threat cases aggressively, and that the charges can carry multi-year prison sentences. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has highlighted recent prosecutions involving what it calls "true threats" and hate crimes. "If you threaten somebody with violence, law enforcement will take you at your word," U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg said in a press release.
Quinn’s detention slots into that broader posture, with prosecutors signaling that even online rhetoric that crosses into explicit threats can land someone in federal custody while the case plays out.
Similar Arrests Around The State And Country
The Tampa case comes amid a run of federal arrests over online threats targeting immigration authorities. In southwest Florida, Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested a Cape Coral man after court records say he urged others to "just get a gun and shoot the ICE Nazis down," according to FOX4.
Beyond Florida, the FBI and federal prosecutors in Texas brought charges last year against a North Texas man accused of posting an online threat to shoot ICE agents, as reported by CBS News. Together, the cases underline how posts that might once have been dismissed as angry venting are now landing people in serious legal trouble.
What The Law Says
Threats directed at federal officers can fall under several federal statutes, depending on how the threat was made and who it targeted. For instance, 18 U.S.C. § 875 makes it a crime to transmit threats in interstate commerce, with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Another statute, 18 U.S.C. § 115, covers threats against federal officials and can carry even stiffer penalties in some situations.
Prosecutors say decisions about exactly which charges to file depend on the full record in each case, including the language and context of the posts and any additional corroborating evidence investigators uncover.
