A man from North Carolina was charged with threatening President Joe Biden, an unsealed federal criminal complaint revealed Thursday, according to the Justice Department.
David Kyle Reeves, 27, of Gastonia, was charged with making a threat against the President of the United States and was arrested Feb. 5, the Justice Department’s statement said.
David Kyle Reeves, 27, of Gastonia, North Carolina, arrested for threatening to kill President Biden https://t.co/SLCUb5zVtH pic.twitter.com/hVl6LIBRlo
— Alexandra Halaby ???? (@iskandrah) February 12, 2021
Reeves allegedly contacted the White House switchboard multiple times between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, and made threats against Biden and others, an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint said, according to the Justice Department.
BREAKING: Just in from @USAO_WDNC A Gastonia man is charged with threatening @POTUS 27-year-old David Kyle Reeves is accused of calling the White House switchboard between January 28 and February 1, 2021 and making threats against President Joe Biden and others. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/FARhiVzkNS
— Nate Morabito (@NateMorabito) February 11, 2021
A Secret Service agent contacted Reeves on Feb. 1 to discuss the threats. Reeves allegedly called the Secret Service agent back multiple times on that day to repeat threats against Biden, the agent, and others.
“I’m going to come kill the president, I’m going to kill the Secret Service because I own this whole planet,” Reeves said in a phone call with the agent, the News Observer reported, based on an affidavit. (RELATED: Oregon Man Arrested After Threatening To Kill President Trump)
In other phone calls, Reeves allegedly told the agents that his threats were constitutionally protected speech, and that he would continue making them. He told the Secret Service to “come pick him up, and take him to the White House so he can punch the President in the face, sit in his chair, and stay there until he dies,” the News Observer reported.
He also told another Secret Service agent that “no punishment will stop him and it is not against the law to threaten people.”
Reeves allegedly contacted the U.S. Capitol Police switchboard on the same day and made similar threats, according to the Justice Department.
Reeves reportedly has a history of violence, and his records reportedly show charges of assault, family violence, terroristic threats and acts, assault on a police officer while resisting arrest and other offenses, according to the News Observer.
He is not believed to be tied to the Capitol Building riots that occurred in early January, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Reeves made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday morning. His attorney, Kevin Tate, reportedly told the judge that his client may be taking psychotropic medication.
If convicted, Reeves faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Secret Service is investigating the case.