'That Orange Pumpkin Head Would Be Ripe for Popping': Nevada Man Indicted for Threatening Donald Trump

A Nevada man has been indicted on a federal charge of threatening President Donald Trump after allegedly writing in a September YouTube comment that the president's 'orange pumpkin head' would be 'ripe for popping', prosecutors say.

Google LLC, YouTube's parent company, alerted the FBI's National Threat Operations Center on 16 October. It told investigators that the posts appeared to indicate an 'emergency involving imminent death or serious bodily injury' warranting a government investigation, according to a federal complaint.

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada announced the indictment. Utlaut's arraignment on the federal charge was scheduled for 18 November.

Tracing the Donald Trump Comments to Henderson

The YouTube channel went by the name 'VEGAS DEW'. Google told the FBI that the comments it considered threatening had all come from that account, the US Department of Justice stated.

Investigators used records from Google and an internet provider to identify the person behind the posts. A phone number and payment information also linked the account to Utlaut, according to the complaint. The filings describe several steps used to connect the online account with him.

Henderson police pulled Utlaut over for speeding and running a red light. Prosecutors allege he was carrying a pistol in his truck when officers arrested him. During questioning, Utlaut allegedly told an FBI task force officer that he lived alone and nobody else should have access to his internet connection.

He also described having 'safes full of firearms' in his apartment. Officers who searched it seized magazines and ammunition. The complaint lists semi-automatic pistols, shotguns, AR-pattern rifles and bolt-action rifles among the weapons recovered.

Investigators noted that several firearms appeared to be recent purchases. Officers seized 15 firearms in all from Utlaut's home and vehicle, the Justice Department stated. The complaint therefore sets out both the alleged online threats and the firearms recovered during the investigation.

Donald Trump Was One of Several Alleged Targets

Prosecutors traced the posts back to 28 June, when the account allegedly threatened to shoot a woman. The complaint also cited a threat to kill on 31 July and, in the September comment about Trump, a reference to a rifle Utlaut described as his own.

In another post attributed to Utlaut, he claimed he had spent 18 months stockpiling weapons and ammunition and would kill thousands before anyone stopped him. The threat extended beyond Trump supporters to 'even Trump himself and anybody I can get ahold of'.

In a 6 October post, Utlaut allegedly directed abuse at the Secret Service and the FBI. He called for someone to kill Trump, suggested he might do so himself and challenged anyone who objected to come and find him, according to the complaint.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto addressed the posts in a statement. 'Mr. Utlaut allegedly threatened the life of President Trump, promoted a mass shooting, and expressed a willingness to carry out horrific acts of violence.'

Nevada authorities initially arrested Utlaut on a state charge alleging he had made a threat or conveyed false information about an act of terrorism. The federal grand jury indicted him under a separate law that prohibits threats against the president. The state allegation and federal charge are distinct; the indictment concerns the federal case.

A conviction on the federal charge would carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the US Attorney's Office stated. An indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt.