Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Threats to Kill Trump and Federal Officials
Shawn Monper, 32, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for threatening to kill President Trump and other officials. He had purchased multiple firearms and posted violent threats on YouTube.
Pennsylvania Man Jailed Four Years for YouTube Threats Against Trump
A 32-year-old Pennsylvania man will serve four years in federal prison after threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump and other federal officials, while stockpiling firearms and ammunition following the 2024 election.
U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy sentenced Shawn Monper on charges stemming from a series of violent posts he made under the username "Mr Satan" on YouTube. As Law & Crime reports, Monper pleaded guilty in April to two felony counts of threatening to assault and murder United States officials and federal law enforcement officers with the intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with, and retaliate against them in the performance of their official duties. Upon release, he will face an additional three years of supervised release.
The threats were made between Jan. 15 and April 5, 2025, according to court documents. The FBI National Threat Operations Section was first notified about the posts on April 8, 2025.
Concealed Carry Permit and a Growing Arsenal
Five days after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, Monper applied for a concealed carry permit, which he obtained on Jan. 28. The threats followed in short order.
On Feb. 10, Monper commented on a YouTube video: "If Trump isn't removed immediately, we will see another civil war." Two weeks later, on Feb. 26, he wrote: "Private army in the US = Terrorist, we need to rise up and use the 2nd Amendment against these people. I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office."
Between those two posts, he purchased a 9 mm handgun.
On March 1, Monper posted: "I bought a gun. Ready to kill nazis." He purchased another handgun one week later, and a third on March 16.
The following day he posted: "Everyone arm yourselves now. We need to kill them all, it's the only way Nazis go away."
On March 20, Monper wrote: "'The left' needs to arm themselves. I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo."
Direct Threats Against the President
Court documents show that on March 4, Monper stated of Trump: "I'm gonna assassinate him myself."
On April 1, he posted to a YouTube video discussing Trump: "When are we going to stand up and kill these people?" Four days later, on April 5, he wrote: "That's why Trump needs to die. Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way."
The FBI and Butler Township Police Department arrested Monper on April 9, 2025, one day after the bureau received the initial notification about his posts.
Officials Cite Joint Commitment to Protecting Federal Figures
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Troy Rivetti said the speed of the response demonstrated an institutional commitment to protecting public servants. "The speed with which Monper was identified, charged, arrested, and detained before he had the opportunity to act on his violent threats demonstrates our joint commitment to protecting those who serve our country," Rivetti said in a statement. "The sentence imposed not only ensures that Monper will be in prison and under judicial supervision for years to come, but also sends a strong message to deter others from making such threats."
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec said the outcome showed that anonymous online profiles offer no protection from prosecution. "Today's sentencing proves anyone threatening elected officials and law enforcement will not be able to hide behind a profile name," Evanchec said.
Source: Law & Crime