Pinellas man arrested over Facebook threat to commissioner

Rodolfo Mienert, 68, was arrested Monday in West Leeman after Pinellas County deputies determined he authored a threatening Facebook comment targeting County Commissioner Brian Scott. The sheriff's office said detectives opened an investigation after receiving a report about a comment posted Sunday on a local media outlet's page. The original post on the page criticized Scott's recent vote to approve a mosque expansion. In response, a user commented: "But Scott's WAS, and he's a Republican' turncoat..off with his head!" Detectives traced the IP address associated with the account to Mienert. When officers contacted him at his home, he confirmed the account was his. Mienert told investigators he attended a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting where a woman wearing full Islamic attire was escorted out. He described himself as vocal about political issues and said he called Scott a "turncoat" because the Republican commissioner voted in favor of the expansion. Mienert was taken to the Pinellas County Jail. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated that threatening a commissioner over a land vote is intolerable. "We will strictly enforce the law against anyone who makes threats of this nature," Gualtieri said. Mienert previously served as a sergeant with the New York City Police Department for 22 years before retiring. The sheriff's office asked anyone with information about threats to call 727-582-6200 or submit details through FortifyFL.

Detectives linked the IP address associated with the account to Mienert, the sheriff's office said. Detectives contacted Mienert at his home, where he confirmed the account belonged to him. Mienert told investigators he had attended a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting where a woman wearing full Islamic attire appeared and was escorted out of the meeting. He described himself as "very vocal and not afraid to share his opinion," particularly about political issues. Mienert said he called Scott a "turncoat" because the commissioner identifies as a Republican but voted in favor of the mosque expansion, according to investigators. Mienert was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail.

"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," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. According to the sheriff's office, Mienert previously served as a sergeant with the New York City Police Department before retiring after 22 years. Anyone with information about threats can contact PCSO at 727-582-6200 or submit information through FortifyFL.

The arrest followed a vote by Scott to approve the expansion of a mosque in the county. The comment that triggered the investigation was posted on the Facebook page of a local media outlet. The post itself contained criticism of the vote. Mienert's comment appeared in the reply section. The investigation began after a report was filed regarding the nature of the comment. Deputies used digital forensics to connect the online account to Mienert's home address. He admitted to posting the message. His explanation for the comment focused on his perception of Scott's political alignment and the conduct of a meeting attendee. Mienert's background in law enforcement in New York was noted in the sheriff's office records. The case remains active under the jurisdiction of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The department is handling the matter as a threat against a public official. The specific land issue referenced by the sheriff is the mosque expansion. Scott is a member of the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners. The meeting referenced by Mienert took place prior to his arrest. The woman mentioned by Mienert was wearing traditional Islamic clothing during the meeting. She left the chamber under the direction of staff. Mienert was not charged with a specific crime in the initial report, only arrested. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. The sheriff's office released the statement to clarify their enforcement stance. The phone number provided for tips is 727-582-6200. The online submission portal is FortifyFL.