A 42-year-old Chesterfield Township man was arrested Friday and accused of threatening to kill FBI Director Kash Patel and one of Patel's associates, federal prosecutors say. Anthony Daniel Palazzolo appeared in federal court Friday afternoon and was temporarily detained following the hearing, with a detention hearing now set for Monday, November 2.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the charges against Palazzolo, alleging he made threats to kill Patel and his associate, according to Deadline Detroit. Per a criminal complaint, Palazzolo sent Patel's associate a Facebook message on October 8, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Michigan, which states that the complaint charges Palazzolo with sending the message via Facebook on that date.
In that October 8 message, Palazzolo allegedly wrote that he had put a hit out on Patel's associate, per the complaint. He also allegedly described Patel himself as “a dead mf too” in the same exchange. Deadline Detroit's report adds that Palazzolo threatened to come to the FBI office and use deadly force against government officials.
Agent Says Harassment Continued After Interview
The FBI interviewed Palazzolo in connection with the threats, but the harassment reportedly did not stop there. Palazzolo allegedly continued to harass a Detroit FBI agent by phone even after that interview, the Deadline Detroit report notes. Court documents cited in the same report indicate Palazzolo lives with his father in Chesterfield Township.
Palazzolo was arrested Friday and made his initial federal court appearance that afternoon, after which he was temporarily detained. The detention hearing scheduled for Monday will determine whether he remains in custody while the case proceeds.
A Growing Pattern of Threats Against Officials
The case fits into a broader national trend. A CBS News analysis found that 126 people were charged in the previous year with threatening federal and top state officials, and that federal prosecutions stemming from such threats have more than tripled over the past decade. The outlet's review also found that 2025 surpassed 2024 in threats-related cases, and that 29 of the 126 prosecutions examined involved defendants accused of targeting federal law enforcement specifically.
Other figures in that same analysis underscore the scale of the problem: there were 564 threats against federal judges in the last fiscal year, up from 509 the year before, and the U.S. Capitol Police investigated 14,938 concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed at lawmakers and related groups, up sharply from 9,474 in 2024. In a separate case in Georgia, the FBI said Isiah Washington was arraigned in federal court in August after allegedly posting violent threats against a former FBI official on social media.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), transmitting a threat in interstate commerce to injure or kidnap a person can carry a fine, up to five years in prison, or both, according to the U.S. Code maintained by the House of Representatives. It remains unclear which specific charges have been filed against Palazzolo, whether he has entered a plea, or who is representing him in court. The outcome of Monday's detention hearing has not yet been determined.
