Cape Coral man sentenced to prison for death threats against ICE on social media

A Cape Coral man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after he made death threats against Immigration and Customs Enforcement on social media. According to the Middle District of Florida, Joseph Rocco Giancola, 73, pleaded guilty on March 26. Court records showed on Aug. 6, 2025, that ICE identified threats to injure ICE agents posted on a Bluesky account linked to Giancola, and he had made multiple threats online between May and July of last year. A search warrant was executed by ICE on Giancola at his home on Chiquita Boulevard in Cape Coral on Oct. 30, 2025, where court documents say the Bluesky account was seen on his unlocked computer screen. At the sentencing hearing, Giancola was held accountable by the court for making more than two true threats against official victims on account of the victim’s employment status, the Middle District of Florida said. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.