A retired NYPD officer was arrested in Florida on Nov. 2, 2026, for allegedly threatening to behead a local politician over his vote to approve a mosque expansion. Rodolfo Mienert, 68, of St. Petersburg, was charged with a felony count of written or electronic threat to kill, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Mienert allegedly made the threat on Facebook, commenting on a post about Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott's vote to approve the expansion of a local mosque. According to police, the comment read, “He’s a Republican’ turncoat,…off with his head!” Another post from the same account, which featured a profile picture of Bugs Bunny with a revolver, reportedly stated, “DO NOT vote for this person, he voted FOR a mosque.”
Investigators traced the Facebook account to Mienert, who confirmed it was his when confronted by police. He reportedly told investigators that he was “very vocal and not afraid to share his opinion” and reiterated his view that Scott was a “turncoat” for his vote.
Mienert had previously spoken out against the mosque expansion at a County Commission meeting on Oct. 27, expressing concerns about increased traffic and environmental impact. He had served 22 years with the NYPD before retiring and moving to Florida.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated that such threats are intolerable. "Threatening to cut off the head of a county commissioner because of his vote on a land issue is intolerable and we will strictly enforce the law against anyone who makes threats of this nature," Gualtieri said in a statement. Mienert was in custody the day after his arrest.