ATLANTA, GA – A federal grand jury has indicted two men from out of state for allegedly threatening a Department of Homeland Security deportation officer and his wife through violent social media posts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Frank Andrew Waszut, 41, of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Anthony Patrick Noto, 63, of Ronkonkoma, New York, each face federal charges for transmitting threats to injure a federal officer and his family.
Instagram posts targeted officer and spouse
According to court filings, Waszut posted a video on Instagram showing photos of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer who lives and works in North Georgia. In the video, Waszut urged viewers to “make him famous” and to give him the “cell block one treatment,” a slang reference to violent assaults on inmates.
Meanwhile, Noto allegedly commented under a photo of the officer’s wife, writing: “Anybody wanna test the sites on their new A-R? There’s a pretty good target right there!” Authorities said “A-R” referred to an AR-style semiautomatic rifle.
Arrests and custody status
Noto was arrested in New York and has been arraigned on the federal indictment. Waszut is currently in custody in Texas, where he faces separate state charges for making terroristic threats against Republican lawmakers.
Both men were indicted on September 23 by a federal grand jury in Atlanta.
Officials condemn threats as “reprehensible”
“Federal agents deserve to perform their duties free of harassment from keyboard warriors and agitators,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Threatening law enforcement officers and their families is not only illegal—it’s disgusting.”
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown called the threats “a direct attack on the safety and integrity of our justice system,” warning that such conduct “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Case under FBI investigation
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Eric White handling the prosecution.
If convicted, both defendants face significant federal prison time.
Two social media posts meant to intimidate have now become federal felonies — a stark reminder that online threats against law enforcement come with real-world consequences.