A retired NYPD officer living in Florida was arrested Monday after authorities said he posted a social media message calling for the beheading of a Pinellas County commissioner who recently voted to approve an expansion of a local mosque.
Rodolfo Mienert, now a resident of St. Petersburg, allegedly made the comment on a Facebook post attacking Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott over his support for a land-use change allowing the North Pinellas mosque to expand.
The 68-year-old former officer referred to Scott as a “Republican turncoat” and then wrote, “off with his head!” according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
An affidavit obtained by News Media said Mienert posted the comment using the Facebook username “Rudy MineAllmine.”
A booking photo for Rodolfo Mienert, 68, a retired NYPD officer who was arrested Nov. 2, 2026, after allegedly making a post calling for the beheading of Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
The account’s profile image features Bugs Bunny holding a revolver. Its biography states, “…if I pissed off a libtard today, I’m happy!! no further reply!!”
The account’s most recent post reshared a campaign video from Scott with the warning: “DO NOT vote for this person, he voted FOR a mosque.”
Investigators traced the account’s IP address to Mienert, who later acknowledged that the Facebook account belonged to him.
A headshot photo for Brian Scott, a Pinellas County Commissioner. Last month, Scott voted in favor of a proposal that would allow a local mosque to expand. (Photography provided courtesy of Pinellas County Communications Department)
Mienert told detectives that he is “very vocal and not afraid to share his opinion” on political matters. He said he called Scott a “turncoat” because the commissioner voted to approve the mosque expansion.
He also said he attended an Oct. 27 meeting of the Pinellas County Commission, where residents spent considerable time discussing the mosque proposal.
During the meeting, Mienert said he had left New York for “beautiful Florida.” He argued that the mosque’s expanding footprint would harm the environment and worsen traffic.
Rodolfo Mienert is seen speaking during a Pinellas County Commission meeting on Oct. 27, 2026, days before he was arrested. Mienert, along with many others, criticized the commission’s decision to approve the mosque expansion. (Pinellas County Commission)
Mienert was arrested on one felony count of making a written or electronic threat to kill. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison under Florida law.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a statement 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.”
Mienert, who retired as a sergeant after 22 years with the New York Police Department, remained in the Pinellas County Jail, according to records reviewed by News Media. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.