FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 23, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
Six arrested at Queens Center Cheesecake Factory
BY JULIA MORO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Police made six arrests aft er a group of
unvaccinated people refused to leave the
Cheesecake Factory at Queens Center
Mall despite the vaccine mandate requiring
proof of immunization on Tuesday,
Dec. 14.
At approximately 7 p.m., NYPD offi cers
responded to a complaint about criminal
trespassing inside the Cheesecake Factory
at Queens Center Mall, located at 90-15
Queens Blvd.
According to NYPD, the group entered
the restaurant refusing to show proof of
vaccination or leave the premises when
asked.
Once offi cers arrived, they gave lawful
orders to the group to leave — which
they again refused, according to authorities.
Aft er refusing to comply, six people
were placed under arrest without any
further incident. Two of the individuals
were from Queens and the others were
from Yonkers, Brooklyn and the Bronx,
police said.
Th e group of about 30 people are shown
in a video posted to Twitter arguing with
police before fi nally being arrested. An
offi cer said, “If you refuse to leave when
we tell you to leave, we will be arresting
you for criminal trespassing.”
One anti-vaxxer said, “It’s not criminal
trespassing. We’re here to access the building
during normal business hours. We’re
not committing a crime. If you falsely
arrest us, you will be held liable.”
One woman is heard in the background
calling the offi cers Nazis.
Groups of anti-vaxxers, who go by the
name New York Freedom Rally, have
been going around the city at establishments
like Shake Shack and Applebee’s to
perform sit-in protests, refusing to comply
with city law. Children also appear in
the videos.
The same group of anti-vaxxers
came back to Queens Center Mall to
eat at Applebee’s and gather outside the
Cheesecake Factory the following day
on Wednesday, Dec. 15, to again protest
the vaccine mandate while brandishing a
Trump and American fl ag behind them.
According to NYPD, four protestors
were arrested on Dec. 15 for criminal trespassing
at the Applebee’s at 90-15 Queens
Blvd.
New York City imposed the vaccine
mandate for all restaurants and venues in
September, requiring all patrons to show
proof of at least one dose. If a restaurant
does not comply with this order, they face
a $1,000 penalty for the fi rst off ense.
Alethea Rowe, a senior director of public
relations for Cheesecake Factory told
QNS that this was “an unfortunate incident.”
“Th e company is simply complying with
the local ordinance concerning COVID-
19 vaccine requirements,” Rowe said. “We
would like to thank our restaurant managers
and staff for remaining focused
on providing our guests with delicious,
memorable food, and would like to thank
local law enforcement for their support
during this time.”
On Dec. 10, Gov. Kathy Hochul
announced a mask mandate for all indoor
public places unless a business implements
the vaccine requirement. Th e state
expects a winter surge of COVID-19
cases, as more cases of the new omicron
variant are also being reported, and this
mandate is meant to curb the spread.
Middle Village man sentenced for posting threats to kill member of Congress
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Middle Village man who was
arrested by federal agents during a raid
on his home just days aft er insurrectionists
stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6
will spend nearly three years behind bars
for threatening to kill a congressman and
illegally possessing ammunition.
Proud Boys supporter Eduard Florea,
41, was sentenced in Brooklyn federal
court Th ursday, Dec. 16, by U.S. District
Court Judge Eric R. Komittee to 33
months in prison for transmitting threats
to injure others, including threats
against Senator Raphael Warnock
of Georgia, aft er having been convicted
of a felony. Florea pleaded
guilty to the charges in August.
“With today’s sentence,
the defendant faces serious
consequences for threatening
the life of United
States Senator Raphael
Warnock as part of his
eff orts to foment violence
at the Capitol
on Jan. 6, 2021, in
connection with attempts to overturn the
results of the 2020 election,” U.S. Attorney
Breon Peace said.
Florea posted threatening statements
online about killing offi cials, including
now-U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock,
and committing other acts of violence
in Washington, D.C., in connection with
the certifi cation of the results of the 2020
presidential election.
On the morning of Jan. 5, Florea allegedly
posted, “We need to all come to
an agreement … and go armed …
and really take back Washington.”
A few minutes later, Florea posted,
“Tomorrow may very well
be the day war kicks off …”
Aft er the assault on Capitol
Hill had begun, Florea allegedly
posted that he intended to
travel to Washington, D.C., as part
of a group armed with fi rearms
ready to engage in additional
violence.
Between approximately
2 and 6 p.m. — while the
Capitol was under siege
— Florea posted the
following messages,
among others:
“Mine are ready
… I am ready
… we need to
regroup outside
of DC and attack from all sides …
talking to some other guys … I will keep
watching for the signal”; “I am awaiting
my orders … armed and ready to deploy
…”; “Guns cleaned loaded … got a bunch
of guys all armed and ready to deploy …
we are just waiting for the word”; “It’s time
to unleash some violence.”
When the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism
Task Force executed the search warrant
at Florea’s Middle Village home on Jan.
12, investigators found more than 1,000
rounds of rifl e ammunition, over 20
rounds of shotgun ammunition, 72 military
style combat knives, two swords and
two hatchets in his possession.
“Th is offi ce is deeply committed to protecting
our democratic institutions and
preserving our democracy, and will vigorously
prosecute those who would undermine
our founding principles as a nation
by threatening the safety of our elected
representatives or those who seek elected
offi ce,” Peace said.
Florea had been previously convicted
of a New York state fi rearms-related felony
aft er police found a stockpile of weapons
at his Staten Island home in 2014. He
served a year in prison and later moved to
Middle Village.
Sketch by REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Middle Village resident Eduard
Florea was sentenced
in federal court to
posting threatening
s t a t e m e n t s
connected with the
Jan. 6 insurrection
at the U.S. Capitol.
Screenshot via newyorkfreedomrally2/Instagram
A group of people against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate rallied in and outside the Cheesecake
Factory at the Queens Center Mall on Dec. 15.
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