A New York man charged with murdering the alleged boss of the Gambino Mafia family believed he was carrying out a mission on behalf of President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, his lawyer said in court documents, according to The New York Times.

Anthony Comello of Staten Island allegedly shot and killed Francesco “Frankie Boy” Cali outside Cali’s home in March, which law enforcement initially suspected was the opening salvo in a turf war after decades of relative peace between New York’s five major families.

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However, according to a filing from his attorney, Robert C. Gottlieb, Comello was not affiliated with the Mafia. Instead, he believed Cali was an agent of the “deep state” and that he was authorized by Trump to arrest him. Gottlieb said Comello had brought handcuffs with him and shot Cali only after he refused to submit to a citizen’s arrest and reached for his waistband.

Gottlieb, who sought to prove in the filing that Comello was not liable by reason of insanity, wrote that his client was a subscriber to the “QAnon” conspiracy theory, which claims that Trump is secretly working against a powerful network of pedophiles who control world institutions, according to the Times.

“Mr. Comello’s support for ‘QAnon’ went beyond mere participation in a radical political organization,” Gottlieb wrote. “It evolved into a delusional obsession.”

Comello reportedly had planned to conduct several citizen’s arrests of people he believed to be in on the conspiracy, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Bill de BlasioOVERNIGHT ENERGY: California seeks to sell only electric cars by 2035 | EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities | House energy package sparks criticism from left and right EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities New Year's Eve in Times Square to be largely virtual amid pandemic MORE (D) on two separate occasions.

Gottlieb wrote that his client also contacted federal marshals at Manhattan’s Federal District Court to ask them to aid him in capturing Reps. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffSchiff claims DHS is blocking whistleblower's access to records before testimony GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power Rubio on peaceful transfer of power: 'We will have a legitimate & fair election' MORE (D-Calif.) and Maxine Waters Maxine Moore WatersPowell, Mnuchin stress limits of current emergency lending programs Pelosi: House will stay in session until agreement is reached on coronavirus relief Omar invokes father's death from coronavirus in reaction to Woodward book MORE (D-Calif.), believing they were nearby, according to the Times. Law enforcement confirmed both incidents.

How Comello came to believe the Mafia was also connected to the conspiracy theory, which generally focuses on prominent Democratic politicians or liberal figures, remains unclear, according to the Times.