ISIS-linked New Yorker arrested for allegedly threatening to attack Yonkers police, mayor

An ISIS-linked New York man who’s been accused of making threats days ahead of Yonkers’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade is now facing charges for “making threatening interstate communications.”

According to the Justice Department, for several years now, suspect Ridon Kola has been publishing social media posts expressing support for ISIS and vowing to commit violence against several parties, including the Yonkers Police Department and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano.

The threats reportedly started in 2021.

“On November 19, 2021, KOLA posted to a YPD official social media account a message in Albanian that translated to the following: ‘I am going to slaughter you little girls,'” a press release from the DOJ notes.

“On December 5, 2021, KOLA posted to the same YPD social media account a message stating that: ‘Starting tomorrow I will start killing your officers just so u know who is doing it, Ridon Kola Albanian blood,’ and that he would also kill the Mayor of Yonkers,” it continues.

The authorities subsequently interviewed him, but he claimed “he had no plans to harm YPD officers or the Mayor,” and so the authorities evidently dropped the case.

But then, two years later, in early 2023, the threats re-reemerged.

“In January 2023, KOLA posted multiple statements expressing support for ‘jihad,’ or ‘to war against non-Muslims,’ and the establishment of a ‘caliphate,’ and depicting the raised index finger gesture used by jihadist groups, including the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (‘ISIS’),” according to the DOJ.

Then on March 6th, Kola reportedly sent a direct message to the YPD through social media about the specific officer who’d interviewed him two years earlier.

“I’m looking for that officer that came to my house and threatened me and my family to kill us. I’m going to burn the world until I find him Vallahi [by God], no matter what happens to me there will never be peace in this country anymore! Allahu Ekberr,” he reportedly wrote.

The following day, he published a statement praising Sayfullo Saipov, the Islamic terrorist who committed the 2017 New York City truck attack, and referring to him as “my BROTHER.”

Two days later on the 9th, KOLA published a social media post containing a threat to burn “cia fbi nsa police jud[g]es alive w their families too!”

On that day, he also reportedly sent the YPD two additional direct messages.

“First people to be crucified will be the Yonkers rats Vallahi. Allahu Ekberr,” one message read.

“I will crucify Yonkers cops and their bosses all along McLean ave. It will be a horror scene . . . Allahu Ekberr,” the next one continued.

Three additional days later, he published a photograph of himself wielding an ax on his social media account.

“Come on Judas, I’m waiting for you,” he wrote as a caption in Albanian.

Evidently finally fed up with him, the authorities arrested Kola this week and charged him with “making threatening interstate communications,” which unfortunately is punishable by no more than five years in prison.

Locals, for their part, are just happy that the guy’s finally behind bars.

“It is scary, but it’s good to know that they’ve been caught. There’s always someone out there trying to do something,” Yonkers resident Maria Oriol told CBS News.

So are the involved U.S. attorneys, the FBI, and the YPD, of course.

“As alleged, Ridon Kola posted threats on social media against law enforcement, stating his support for ISIS and his intention to murder numerous police officers. Undeterred after questioning from law enforcement, Kola’s conduct escalated, as he continued to assure police his threats would be carried out,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

“Threatening violence against police or to undermine public safety will not be tolerated, as Kola now stands charged and faces prison time for his threats against our dedicated law enforcement partners tasked with keeping us safe,” he continued.

“As we allege today, Kola, who has demonstrated support for radical Islamic extremism and terrorist attacks, made a series of threats to the lives of law enforcement and others, and now he will be forced to face the consequences of his actions,” FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll likewise said.

“Counterterrorism remains the FBI’s top priority, and through our NY JTTF, we remain committed to keeping all New Yorkers safe from acts of terror,” he added.

But critics say this guy needs to be locked up for far longer than that — perhaps even for life — lest he winds up committing a real terrorist attack after his eventual release.

Of course, this is assuming he gets any time at all …

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