Anthony Daniel Palazzolo, 42, was arrested Oct. 30 over alleged threats against FBI Director Kash Patel and an associate. A detention hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2.
Palazzolo, of Chesterfield Township, Michigan, appeared in federal court Oct. 30 and was temporarily detained, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said.
Prosecutors identify the associate only as Victim-1. The office said a complaint describes an Oct. 8 Facebook message in which Palazzolo allegedly wrote that he had “put a hit out” on the associate and called Patel a “dead mf too.”
After an FBI interview, Palazzolo allegedly threatened a Detroit FBI agent by phone, including threatening to go to the office and use deadly force against government officials, the office said.
The Detroit News reported that the complaint charges Palazzolo with one count of interstate communications involving threats. The cited statute, 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), allows a prison term of up to five years. The office said the complaint is an accusation, not proof, and prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
A January report by University of Nebraska at Omaha researchers counted 824 federal criminal cases involving threats against public officials since 2013. The report recorded 133 such cases in 2025, above its previous high of 104 in 2024.
The detention hearing is set for Nov. 2.
