A Cortland, Alabama, resident has been charged with making a federal threat against U.S. President Donald Trump over a Facebook post. Megan Lorraine Utz, 36, has been charged with two counts of threatening the president and one count of interstate communication, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama said.
According to the indictment, Utz posted a comment on Oct. 5 about Trump's planned attendance at the Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuskegee on Oct. 10. The post contained the threat: “I'll put a bullet in him if he dares“.
Arrest made in Florence
On October 6, FBI and Secret Service agents, along with Florence police, found Utz in the city. She was arrested on an active local warrant for alleged harassing messages, issued at the request of Gwinn police.
Federal authorities have opened a separate investigation into the post. According to court documents, investigators linked the Facebook account to Utz through the photo on it and data provided by the platform. A cellphone was seized during the arrest and sent for forensic analysis.
Federal court appearance pending
The indictment follows a federal criminal complaint alleging the same conduct. The prosecution emphasizes that the complaint and indictment contain allegations that must be proven in court.
“Threats of violence are taken seriously,“ said U.S. Attorney Philip Williams. FBI Special Agent in Charge in Birmingham David Fitzgibbons also pointed out that expressing political views is protected, but turning it into a threat against a specific person could lead to a federal investigation.
Utz is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing in federal court in Birmingham on Nov. 4. If convicted, the court will determine the sentence based on the charges and applicable federal law. She is presumed innocent until the case is concluded.
Sources: waff.com, wbrc.com