A Florida man accused of threatening the life of Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) was reportedly arrested just "a few miles" from the congressman’s home.
Moskowitz disclosed the arrest Thursday afternoon in a post on X. The post did not identify the man or say what charges he faces. It also did not say how the man made the threat.
“A constituent of mine has just been arrested in Boca [Raton], just a few miles from my house, for threatening my life,” Moskowitz wrote.
“He is currently in the Palm Beach County jail. I’m grateful to [the Florida Department of Law Enforcement] and local law enforcement for acting quickly to keep myself and my family safe,” the congressman added.
In November 2024, the day before Election Day, police in the South Florida city of Margate notified Moskowitz of what he called a “potential plot” on his life, NBC News reported.
Police identified the suspect as John Lapinski, 41, of Margate.
Lapinski was arrested not far from Moskowitz’s home with a rifle, body armor, and a suppressor, a device that muffles gunfire, the congressman said.
“Found with him was a manifesto that, among other things, included antisemitic rhetoric and only my name on the ‘target’ list,” Moskowitz, who is Jewish, said in a statement at the time.
Lapinski later pleaded guilty to four federal charges tied to the weapons and equipment police found in his home, Roll Call reported in March. U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith sentenced him to 25 years in prison and called him “plain evil.”
“Since that moment, my kids live with police outside the house every day,” Moskowitz told Roll Call, describing his family’s life after the 2024 arrest.
“We are fully exposed in our district,” he said.
Moskowitz is seeking a third term in Congress and faces Republican Scott Singer, a former Boca Raton mayor, in the Nov. 3 election, Florida Politics reported.