Federal Court Clears Yonkers Man From Threat Charges After Deal

A federal court in New York has cleared a Yonkers resident to avoid prosecution on a charge of transmitting threatening interstate communications.

The agreement, filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 30, 2026, allows Ridon Kola to postpone his case for one year. The document was signed by Kola, his attorney James Roth, and federal prosecutors on October 29. US District Judge Cathy Seibel approved the terms. Under the arrangement, the US Attorney's Office will not pursue the charge if Kola meets specific conditions. If he fails, prosecutors retain the authority to resume the case. The agreement is not a conviction nor a final dismissal.

The terms of the deal impose strict restrictions on Kola's digital and physical life. He is banned from using social media and faces limits on general internet usage. He must wear a location monitoring device and adhere to a curfew. The agreement prohibits him from contacting Yonkers police officers. He must also undergo regular outpatient mental health treatment and refrain from possessing weapons. Kola will remain under the supervision of the US Pretrial Services Office throughout the one-year period.

Kola, now 35, was originally arrested on March 17, 2023, following a series of alleged threats directed at Yonkers Police officers and Mayor Mike Spano. Federal authorities traced the initial threats to November 2021, when Kola posted a message in Albanian on a Yonkers Police Department social media account. In December 2021, he allegedly posted a message in English stating, "Starting tomorrow I will start killing your officers just so u know who is doing it, Ridon Kola Albanian blood." Detectives visited his home after those posts. Kola admitted to making the posts but denied having plans to harm anyone, according to federal records.

The situation escalated in early 2023. On March 9, 2023, Kola allegedly sent a message to the Yonkers Police Department. The text read: "I will crucify Yonkers cops and their bosses all along McLean ave. It will be a horror scene . . Allahu Ekberr." The reference to McLean Avenue drew attention because the street was part of the route for the Yonkers St. Patrick's Day Parade scheduled for March 18, 2023. Kola lived near that route, where numerous officers were expected to be stationed.

A federal grand jury indicted Kola on April 11, 2023, for transmitting threatening interstate communications. The new agreement resolves the pending charge subject to his compliance with the stated conditions.