By Raul Castillo
02 Jun 2024, 18:08 PM EDT
Adam R. Mouser, an Illinois resident, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for making violent threats against the lives of President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several Democratic members of Congress.
Mouser, 40, faced a sentencing hearing Wednesday, where District Judge Colleen Lawless imposed the sentence following his guilty plea to one count of making threats against the president of the United States, according to Law&Crimen.
Repeated and escalated threats
Mouser, who lived in Jacksonville, Illinois, was accused of making repeated threats on social media against high-profile political figures. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, these threats were not only persistent but intensified even after initial intervention by authorities.
Judge Lawless underscored the seriousness of the threats during the sentencing hearing, stating that “words do matter” and noting that Mouser had continued his threatening behavior despite a visit by Secret Service agents to his home.
The Mouser case began to develop when Secret Service agents learned on August 10, 2023, that Mouser had been posting threats on Platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
In one of his posts, Mouser threatened to assassinate President Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, with his “bare hands” and then shoot them. In another post, Mouser defied federal authorities and warned that he would return fire and kill the agents, in addition to threatening to kill his children.
Reactions and arrest
Mouser’s threats were not limited to the president and his wife.
In response to an online question about whether he would prefer to have dinner with Obama or Clinton, Mouser responded that he would shoot them both under the chin. He also referenced Craig Robertson, a Utah man who was killed by the FBI after pointing a gun at agents trying to arrest him for threats against Biden.
Authorities were able to locate Mouser at his home in Jacksonville. On August 23, 2023, a Secret Service agent and a local police detective visited his home and found Mouser in a “very hostile” state.
Mouser did not deny the allegations, confirming that he was the author of the threatening posts and defending his actions under the First Amendment, according to Law&Crime. However, officials noted that the First Amendment does not protect “true threats” of violence.
Sentencing and supervised release
In addition to the 14-month prison sentence, Mouser must serve two years of supervised release after his release.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Lawless scolded Mouser for his actions and emphasized the responsibility that comes with words. “I think it is common sense not to threaten to kill another individual,” the judge said, noting the repetition and intensification of the threats.
The case against Mouser was investigated by the United States Secret Service with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Jacksonville Police Department.
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