An unhinged Chicago man threatened to kill President Donald Trump and decapitate his son Barron with a “serrated knife,” federal prosecutors said.
Michael Kovco, 29, allegedly threatened to assassinate Trump and his 20-year-old son in a March 17 message sent to the White House’s website, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
“I’m going to take a serrated knife and saw Barron Trump‘s head off after I successfully stake out the president of the united states with a high caliber sniper rifle permanently aimed at the White House Lawn from a local vantage point,” Kovco allegedly wrote. “I have absolutely every intent of plotting and carrying out an active assassination attempt against the President of the United States of America. This is a serious threat.”
Two days later, Secret Service agents went to Kovco’s home to investigate the threat, but no one answered, the complaint states. Kovco then allegedly threatened to retaliate against the federal agents in subsequent messages sent to the White House’s website.
“I’m gonna hunt the secret service agent that comes to my door’s family so he better not tell me any identifying information at all like first or last name or pet name or address or place of work because im going to buy a small concealable firearm and go shoot up his place of work immediately if he tells me anything,” Kovco allegedly wrote.
The Chicago man also threatened to procure an improvised explosive device as a “punitive action” against any other Secret Service agents who visited his home, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said Kovco then threatened to stalk Barron Trump in New York or Washington in another March 19 expletive-laced message sent to the White House.
“I’m literally gonna find out how Barron Trump walks around in NYC or DC or wherever the f*** he is and run at him with a serrated bread knife and saw that motherf****** head off,” Kovco allegedly wrote.
Kovco allegedly signed the initial threat to the White House, “Mr. I’m going to f****** kill your child Kovco,” and included his phone number. Agents were able to track the message through the IP address registered to his home, according to the complaint.
Kovco, who has been charged with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, was arrested on April 3. He’s scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Friday. Prosecutors intend to seek his continued confinement ahead of trial. It’s unclear whether he’s hired an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Investigators returned to Kovco’s home on March 19 to investigate the alleged threats and met someone who lived with him. The individual said the unemployed man wasn’t taking his medication and rarely left the home. Kovco then stepped out into the hallway unexpectedly and became agitated when told the agents were investigating the messages, according to the complaint.
“That’s f****** hilarious,” Kovco allegedly replied. “It wasn’t me. Go f*** yourself. Go get a warrant for my arrest.”
The Secret Service did not immediately return a message seeking additional details early Friday.
“Under my watch, political violence will be dealt with as the serious federal crime that it is,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in a statement. “Working closely with our federal and state law enforcement partners, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will find, arrest, and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for criminally threatening the safety of our public officials and law enforcement officers.”