(The Center Square) – Army veteran Daniel Swain spoke only briefly in response to a federal magistrate judge on Monday and will have a detention hearing on Thursday.
Swain, of Summerville, S.C., was arrested in North Carolina on Wednesday because of threats scrawled onto the vehicle authorities believe he was driving to Washington in search of second-term Republican President Donald Trump. The arrest in Apex at a car wash drew action from the U.S. Secret Service, the State Bureau of Investigation and its bomb squad, and the FBI.
According to the federal complaint, “The defendant, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.” He’s charged with communicating a threat against the president.
If convicted, he could face five years in prison.
He told U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Numers II of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina on Monday he understood the charges against him.
In Wake County District Court, he faces charges of resisting a public officer, possession of methamphetamine and a fictitious license plate.
Swain will remain jailed until Thursday’s hearing.
Apex police said he had written threatening messages on the outside of his vehicle. One message read, “headed to WSH to kill the Pres.” The rear window messages said, “Tell Donald he is fired,” “5 dead 5 years,” and “3 Navy, Teacher & Trucker.”
A message on the passenger side window told the read to commit suicide. That was among the messages scrawled out after a car wash, according to the federal complaint relying on surveillance video.
The federal warrant says Swain “stated his motivation to write the threats on the vehicle was his perceived wrongful death of his father, uncle and grandfather. These family members served in the military and died under suspicious health-related circumstances.”
