A Texas man faces federal charges for allegedly threatening to injure, kidnap and kill President Donald Trump along with other officials and employees.
Ronnie "Chip" Austin, Jr., 56, was charged with one count of threats against the president and successors to the presidency. He also faces one count of interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure.
The indictment was handed up in the Eastern District of Texas on Wednesday and unsealed on Friday. Prosecutors say Austin sent emails between March 16 and May 17 that contained detailed threats.
One email stated that Austin was "an active threat, a clear and present danger to the President of the USA." The messages named multiple federal agencies and called for attacks on government installations.
Austin was arrested on June 4. He is represented by the Federal Public Defender's Office. The charges form part of Operation Take Back America, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
