Michigan man arrested for alleged threats to kill 'conservative Christian filth' over Trump election win
A 25-year-old Michigan man is facing federal charges after he allegedly threatened violence against conservative Christians over former President Donald Trump winning the presidential election.
Isaac Sissel of Ann Arbor was arrested Tuesday morning and charged in a federal criminal complaint with making a threatening communication, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Michigan.
Prosecutors said the FBI National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia received an anonymous online threat on Nov. 2, which included details about a planned attack.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The threat included plans to “carry out an attack against conservative Christian filth in the event Trump wins the election.”
According to prosecutors, Sissel claimed to have a stolen AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and “a target I refuse to name so I can continue to get away with my plans.”
“Without a specific victim or ability to find the place I hid the gun, there’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack,” the statement allegedly read.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Nov. 4 stated the FBI was able to trace the threat to Sissel using phone records and an IP address. The investigation also connected Sissel to several Reddit accounts, including usernames like “ShootUpTrumpRally,” “PlanningToShootTrump,” and “WillShootTrumpSoon.”
Reddit confirmed that these accounts were banned from the platform, according to the complaint.
On Nov. 4, federal agents interviewed Sissel at a Travelodge in Canton, Michigan, where he allegedly expressed his disdain for conservative Christians, according to the complaint.
"Sissel said that he wouldn’t kill Trump, but if he knew someone was going to assassinate Trump that it was his (Sissel’s) duty to not intervene," the court records state. "Sissel said that he hated conservative Christians, who he enjoyed threatening.”
Agents did not find any weapons in Sissel’s possession, the complaint added, which prosecutors said was “not surprising given that Sissel stated that he ‘hid the gun.’” He also claimed to have a chemical irritant in his possession, but was prevented by officers from accessing it, according to prosecutors.
Sissel also told officers that Trump was a threat and a "piece of s--- that should have been assassinated, and that everything would be better if Trump was dead," the court document stated.
He also said he frequently slept near a rehab clinic in Ann Arbor and that "he was angry at the individuals" who went to the clinic, including some whom he identified as "Christians."
"He said that he would frequently harass clinic patients, telling them he was selling drugs and mocking their religion," the complaint added.
Investigators did not believe Sissel had a “consistent residence” and that he had “no known consistent address” in Michigan. He also has a criminal history, prosecutors said, which includes arrests and warrants for stalking and harassment.
Sissel was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon, but it was unclear whether that hearing took place or was rescheduled.
