A West Virginia man has admitted to sending vivid threats to kill President Donald Trump using a .308 rifle, including detailed descriptions of how he wanted to cut open the president's jugular and watch life leave his eyes, in messages addressed to the president's son, according to court filings announced by the Justice Department.
Background
Cody Smith, 20, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was initially arrested in January for making terroristic threats against Trump supporters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Harrison County jail records showed he was booked on those charges before his case was upgraded following a federal indictment related to presidential threats. According to prosecutors, the investigation began when the Harrison County Sheriff's Office contacted the West Virginia State Police about someone posting online threats. Authorities said Smith had uploaded videos of himself stating his intent to harm others and called the Department of Homeland Security claiming he planned to attack and kill ICE agents.
Smith's own father told authorities that the defendant had previously brandished a .22 rifle at someone with whom he had a disagreement, according to a detention order issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi. Defense lawyers argued Smith suffers from a serious addiction to controlled substances that began when he was 12 years old, though Aloi acknowledged those issues do not negate the seriousness of the charges.
The Charges
Smith pleaded guilty to threatening the president and retaliating against federal officials by threat after being charged with two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder. During a July 2 hearing before Judge Aloi, both his lawyer and prosecutors confirmed there was no plea agreement in the case.
"He fully understood he was pleading guilty," according to court filings reviewed by Law & Crime. "In addition, defendant and counsel acknowledged that a plea agreement was presented to defendant, but that in any event, he decided to plead guilty to count two and count three without a plea agreement."
According to prosecutors, Smith sent Instagram direct messages to Donald Trump Jr. describing how he wanted to rape the president "with his jugular cut while the life leaves his pathetic eyes." He also posted on social media with a song titled "I Am Going to Kill the President," accompanied by a threat to "IMPEACH THIS MOTHERF—ER WITH A .308" and tagged both Donald Trump and Trump Jr. in posts, writing: "I will kill your b— a— dad."
Smith allegedly called the ICE tip line, providing his name and city of residence while making death threats against agents. "I'm gonna give them my name and where to find me so stay tuned you might get to see me rape and kill some proud Nazi boy f—s," he wrote in one post.
Key Takeaways
- Smith faces up to five years in federal prison for the presidential threat charge and up to 10 years for threats against ICE agents
- He pleaded guilty without a plea agreement, admitting guilt to charges of threatening the president and retaliating against federal officials by threat
- The defendant allegedly sent detailed kill descriptions to Donald Trump Jr. via Instagram direct messages over multiple posts
- Smith called the ICE tip line while making death threats, providing his name and location to authorities
- His defense team argued he struggles with substance abuse that began at age 12, though the court found this did not negate the seriousness of charges
What's Next
Judge Aloi will recommend to Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh of the Northern District of West Virginia that Smith's guilty plea be accepted. A sentencing date was not immediately set following the July 2 hearing. The case remains in the federal system with prosecution handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia, while investigations involved multiple agencies including HSI, the FBI, West Virginia State Police, and Harrison County Sheriff's Office.
"The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority and all threats against the President of the United States will be investigated and prosecuted," said Tad Lipscomb, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service office in Charleston, West Virginia.