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Violent political threats lead to arrests and charges in Michigan
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Violent political threats lead to arrests and charges in Michigan

Two men were arrested in Michigan on Election Day: one allegedly sent threatening communications and told authorities about Donald Trump’s murder during an interview with the FBI, and the other man – who the federal government, bragged about his extremist ties in his communications – for swearing to harm or kill members of an anonymous political action committee.

The FBI and Department of Justice announced the arrests Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities say Isaac Sissel, 25, a Michigan man, was arrested and charged with sending threatening communications Tuesday.

THE FBI said in court filings that the social media site Reddit voluntarily flagged disturbing posts from a user named “ShootUpTrumpRally,” who also had similar nicknames like “WillShootTrumpSoon” and “PlanningToShootTrump.”

Authorities said they were able to identify Sissel by tracing his IP address to the University of Michigan. According to court records, the FBI’s National Threat Center in West Virginia received an anonymous threat on its website on November 2.

The threat read: “I will lead an attack on conservative Christian filth (sic) in the event Trump wins the election. I stole Ar1 and a target I refuse to name so I could continue to carry out my plans. Without a specific victim or the ability to find where I hid the gun, the FBI can’t do anything until I complete the attack.

The FBI said it responded to the post with questions about access to guns.

“I already have this shit,” one response read.

Authorities said they were able to trace the message to Sissel’s phone and then interviewed him Monday at a Travelodge motel in Canton.

No firearms, ammunition or other similar equipment was found, but officers said that was not surprising because Sissel claimed to have “hid the weapon.”

During the interview, Sissel reportedly remarked that Trump was a “threat” and a “shit” and that he believed Trump should have been assassinated.

“Sissel said he would not kill Trump, but if he knew someone was going to assassinate Trump, it was his (Sissel’s) duty not to intervene,” an FBI affidavit states.

Although authorities located Sissel in Ann Arbor, he allegedly told them he had access to guns when he lived in Washington state, but not when he was in Michigan. The FBI said it does not appear that he maintained a “consistent residence” and that Sissel had identification papers from New York and Washington.

Sissel was in Michigan the same day Trump held a rally in the state.

After his arrest Tuesday morning, Sissel appeared before a magistrate judge for the first time, and records show he is currently in custody. His next court date will be November 7 at 1 p.m.

Elsewhere in Michigan, authorities arrested and charged Christopher Pierce, 46, a Jackson resident.

An FBI affidavit reviewed Tuesday by HuffPost shows Pierce is accused of sending two online messages on Oct. 2 threatening to harm or kill people associated with a political action committee. The PAC is not named in court records.

Prosecutors said Pierce used an easily identifiable Gmail account to send messages to the PAC. In the field for entering his name on a message form sent to the PAC, Pierce allegedly wrote: “Your worst fucking nightmare.” »

The message promised to “find every single one of your fucking organizers” (sic) and seemed to suggest that he might be a member – or at least a sympathizer – of the far right. “Three percent” network.

“I’m a member of three fucking American Patriots. And we will return you bastards. I have already managed to locate one of your call centers (sic). You will shut this shit down or we will permanently shut it down for you,” the message continues.

He also called the vice president Kamala Harris “Kamala Harrisis”, a reference to the Isis terrorist network.

In another electronic communication Pierce is accused of sending in October, he claimed that the “three Americanpatriots” were “trained killers” who had been “trained by Uncle Sam” and that the “call centers of PAC had been located.”

“Don’t make these boys and girls go to work (sic),” Pierce reportedly wrote.

The FBI said it interviewed Pierce at his Jackson home on Oct. 30 and that he was “generally hostile” to agents when speaking to them through his screen door.

Agents said they read Pierce’s messages back to him, but he “stated he did not consider the emails threatening.”

Prosecutors noted in a criminal complaint that this is not the first time Pierce has been involved in threatening allegations.

On June 29, 2022, the FBI alleges that Pierce used an Instagram account with the username “pierce_overheard_door” to prey on a witness who testified publicly before the now-defunct House Select Committee, charged to investigate the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. .

Court records do not name the witness, but the date of Pierce’s alleged message would suggest he was referring to witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Donald TrumpMark Meadows’ former chief of staff.

Hutchsinon delivered an explosive testimony to the committee of January 6, including revelations that the former president knew that the rioters were armed but they believed that they would not harm him.

June 29 Pierce’s message cited by prosecutors stated that “what came next” would “make January 6th look like a Sunday walk in the park” and that Hutchinson was committing “professional suicide.”

“Where exactly in the world does she think she can hide from one of the richest men in the world (sic) in her army? Because there’s not a politician in this country that would come within 100 miles of that bitch now! We can’t trust you! And we all know what happens to snitches,” Pierce reportedly wrote.

FBI agents said they interviewed Pierce at his home in September 2022 about these messages. Agents said they also questioned Pierce about a comment he made suggesting there would be “no election in 2024.” In response, Pierce allegedly told agents he was trying to “highlight an ongoing movement encouraging voters not to vote at all.”

“He said the federal government was ‘fake’ and ‘illegitimate’ anyway, which he said was why the FBI was at his door intimidating him,” an FBI affidavit states.

During that same interview, the agents said they warned Pierce that making threats could result in federal criminal charges. Pierce reportedly responded that soon “the country would descend into civil war.”

It is unclear whether Pierce has retained an attorney. He was released on $10,000 bail and will next appear in court on November 26.

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said CNN As of Tuesday afternoon, the state has received threats that are “serious in nature” while voting is underway but none have been “deemed credible.”