Man who targeted Ilhan Omar with vinegar gets 14 months in federal prison

Anthony Kazmierczak was sitting in the audience when he suddenly moved toward Rep Ilhan Omar as she was speaking on January 27
A Minnesota man was sentenced to 14 months in prison after spraying Rep Ilhan Omar with vinegar at a January town hall (Getty Images)
A Minnesota man was sentenced to 14 months in prison after spraying Rep Ilhan Omar with vinegar at a January town hall (Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The man who sprayed Rep Ilhan Omar with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar at a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison on Thursday, September 17.

Anthony Kazmierczak will spend three years on supervised release after his prison term and is prohibited from contacting Omar.

The sentence follows his guilty plea to assaulting a US officer and comes almost eight months after the January confrontation.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 27: A person is subdued after attempting to attack Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A person holding a syringe charged Omar's podium while she spoke to community members. Protests and demonstrations continue around Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Kazmierczak is subdued after attempting to attack Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility on January 27, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Sentence follows guilty plea

Kazmierczak's punishment was handed down after prosecutors and his defense reached a plea agreement in the federal case.

The 14-month term was the sentence sought by prosecutors.

Once released from prison, Kazmierczak will remain under federal supervision for three years, with the court also imposing a no-contact condition involving Omar.

The case began with a chaotic interruption at an official town hall hosted by Omar on January 27.



It ended without a trial after Kazmierczak admitted in May that he had assaulted the congresswoman and had planned the attack.

Omar was not injured and continued speaking after security officers subdued him.

Kazmierczak was sitting in the audience when he suddenly moved toward Omar as she was speaking.

He was carrying a syringe containing liquid and sprayed it onto Omar's clothing and skin.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 28: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (C) speaks during a press conference at City Hall following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to Minneapolis Police, a gunman fired through the windows of the Annunciation Church at worshippers sitting in pews during a Catholic school Mass, killing two children and injuring at least 17 others. The gunman reportedly died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Kazmierczak approached Omar while she was speaking, then sprayed liquid from a syringe onto her skin and clothing (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

He also gestured and shouted at her before members of her security detail tackled him.

The liquid was initially treated as an unidentified substance. Laboratory testing later found acetic acid, confirming that the spray contained apple cider vinegar.

Kazmierczak was taken into custody and eventually charged federally with assaulting a United States officer. He later admitted that he disagreed with Omar's political views.

The confrontation briefly halted the town hall, but Omar resumed her remarks after Kazmierczak was removed.

The incident occurred while Minneapolis was experiencing heightened tensions over a federal immigration crackdown.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 27: The syringe an individual used in an attempted attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility is seen on January 27, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A person holding a syringe charged Omar's podium while she spoke to community members. Protests and demonstrations continue around Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal law enforcement. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The syringe an individual used in an attempted attack on Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) during a town hall meeting at the Urban League Twin Cities facility is seen on January 27, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Ilhan Omar faces 'marriage fraud' scrutiny

Kazmierczak’s prison sentence comes as Omar faces a separate investigation that has revived questions about longstanding allegations surrounding her immigration history.

White House border czar Tom Homan recently confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security was examining allegations involving the Minnesota congresswoman, though he did not disclose specifics, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.

At the center of the renewed scrutiny is a years-old allegation concerning Omar’s 2009 marriage to former husband Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.

Reports allege that Elmi was Omar’s brother and that the marriage was fraudulent. Omar has repeatedly rejected both claims.



The issue surfaced again during a recent exchange with LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg, who directly questioned Omar about whether she had married her brother.

“Absolutely not. What a ridiculous thing to ask,” Omar responded. “That’s disgusting.”

Homan has not publicly established that Omar committed marriage or immigration fraud, and no criminal charges against her over the allegations have been announced.

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