Donald Swope wasn't subtle about his plans for President Donald Trump.The 53-year-old Maryland man made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday, Sept. 1, after prosecutors say a months-long series of Facebook posts escalated into threats against Trump and the US Secret Service.
Among them was one particularly chilling message aimed directly at the president.
"I will behead you Donald J. Trump," Swope allegedly wrote in a Facebook post highlighted by federal prosecutors.
He followed it by tagging Trump and a lengthy list of government agencies, officials and media outlets, according to a screenshot released by the US Attorney's Office.
Federal prosecutors say it wasn't an isolated post.
According to the criminal complaint, Swope repeatedly posted about harming Trump between May 12 and July 27.
Then his alleged targets expanded.
On Aug. 5, Swope made multiple Facebook posts threatening the Secret Service, prosecutors said. The threatening posts allegedly continued from Aug. 6 through Aug. 8.
Swope is now charged in a criminal complaint with:
Threats against the president of the United States;
Interstate communication containing a threat to harm;
Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Joint Task Force Vanguard and a nationwide initiative targeting political violence, according to the US Attorney's Office.
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