St. Petersburg Man Arrested for Written Threats to Kill (26-092)
ST. PETERSBURG - Detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Threat Management Unit have arrested a St. Petersburg man for Written Threats to Kill Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott.
On November 2, 2026, detectives received a report of a threatening comment posted on a local media outlet’s Facebook page. The original post, published November 1, 2026, criticized County Commissioner Brian Scott’s vote approving a mosque expansion in Pinellas County. In response, a user commented: “But Scott’s WAS, and he’s a ‘Republican’ turncoat,...off with his head!”
Through various investigative techniques, detectives learned the IP address associated with the account used to post the comment was linked to 68-year-old Rodolfo Mienert. Detectives contacted Mienert at his residence where Mienert confirmed the account belonged to him. He reported attending the recent Board of County Commissioner’s meeting where a woman in full Islamic attire appeared and was escorted out of the meeting. Mienert stated he is "very vocal and not afraid to share his opinion," particularly regarding political issues. He explained he called Commissioner Scott a "turncoat" because Commissioner Scott, who identifies as a Republican, voted for the mosque expansion.
Mienert was arrested and charged with one felony count of Written Threats to Kill and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
According to detectives, Mienert retired from the New York City Police Department as a sergeant after 22 years of service.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated that “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.”
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to keeping our community safe. Anyone with information on any threats is asked to notify the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office immediately at (727) 582-6200 or via https://getfortifyfl.com/
Additional Information:
Rodolfo Mienert (Suspect – Arrested)
DOB: 10/31/1958
Charge: Written Threats to Kill
