MISSOULA — A Missoula man faces a federal indictment, accused of making violent threats on his Facebook page earlier this month against President Donald Trump.
David Carrol Sheppard, 56, of Missoula, faces a federal charge of "interstate communication of a threat to injure". He's accused of posting the threats ahead of Trump's Montana visit.
According to a federal document, on Oct. 10, the Montana Analysis and Technical Information Center notified the Secret Service that Sheppard had posted multiple threatening messages on his Facebook account directed at the president.
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The document says some of these posts referenced Trump's planned visit to Kalispell and expressed interest in violence against the president and his supporters.
One reads, "We are KILLING Trump if he comes to Montana!!!!!"
Another says, "If you support Trump, YOU ARE GOING TO BE DEAD!!!!"
The document goes on to say that Sheppard claimed he was exercising his freedom of speech. He pleaded not guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.
This is the second time agents have visited Sheppard over threatening online posts. If convicted, he faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
