The Department of Justice announced Friday a two-count indictment against a Florida man accused of making online threats to kill interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba.
The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Salvatore Russotto of Orlando, allegedly posted a series of threats on the social media platform X. According to law enforcement, Russotto repeatedly used the number “86” in his posts—a term commonly interpreted in law enforcement circles as a reference to assassination.
While “86” is typically used in restaurants to indicate an item is no longer available, authorities say it has also been adopted as slang for eliminating a person.
Russotto posted threatening messages, such as “Eliminate HABBA. 86 Traitor. Death penalty for all traitors” and “I HOPE YOU DIE A PAINFUL DEATH,” according to a DOJ press release.
The indictment against Salvatore Russotto includes two charges: one count of threatening to injure and kill interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, and a second count of retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer by threat. If convicted on both counts, Russotto could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
The charges were announced by interim U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Greg Kehoe. His office did not provide details about Russotto’s motive for the threats, which were posted on May 19. However, the posts came the same day Habba announced charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) for allegedly obstructing federal officers outside an immigration facility in Newark, New Jersey.
McIver was involved in a widely publicized confrontation last month, during which federal agents attempted to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Habba initially charged Baraka with trespassing but later dropped the case. Baraka has since filed a lawsuit against Habba, alleging the prosecution was politically motivated.
Earlier this week, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting and interfering with Department of Homeland Security officials. Her trial is scheduled to begin on November 10.
President Donald Trump appointed Alina Habba, his former White House counselor and personal attorney in several criminal cases, as interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in March. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump is expected to formally nominate her for the permanent role.
The unsealed indictment against Russotto comes just one month after former FBI Director James Comey sparked controversy with an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” The post was widely interpreted as a veiled reference to assassinating Trump, the 47th president.
Although Comey previously served in law enforcement, he claimed he was unaware of the violent connotation associated with the numbers. He also stated that the seashell arrangement had been created by someone else. Nevertheless, Comey deleted the post following public backlash.
Trump later criticized Comey for what he called an unconvincing explanation.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier in May. “If you’re the FBI director, and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear.”
FBI Director Kash Patel, appointed by President Trump, stated that the agency is actively investigating a number of potential “copycat” threats targeting the president and other administration officials in the wake of James Comey’s controversial post. The FBI has also opened an investigation into Comey over the alleged threat.
Patel praised the bureau’s efforts in bringing Salvatore Russotto to justice, calling it a strong example of the FBI’s commitment to protecting public officials.
“A dangerous copycat, fueled by reckless rhetoric from former officials, threatened those protecting our country,” Patel posted on X. “Political violence has no place here. Proud of our [FBI Tampa] and thankful to our Florida partners for acting fast to deliver justice.”
