HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Va., man, who made online threats to kill, kidnap, or injure former Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Barrack Obama, was sentenced recently to 30 months in federal prison.
Frank Lucio Carillo, 68, pled guilty in April 2025 to one count of sending threatening communications through interstate commerce.
According to court documents, Carillo used the social media platform GETTR to post thousands of messages using the name “joemadarats1.” GTTR is publicly accessible, and users can post articles, statements, and links to other websites, as well as comment on and reply to other users’ posts.
On July 27, 2024, FBI Phoenix received information concerning a threat made against an employee of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office posted on GETTR by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”
FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts, comments, and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barrack Obama
In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”
Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to determine that the “joemadarats1” username was used by Carillo at his residence in Winchester, Virginia.
On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Western District of Virginia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.