Adam Ray Mouser, a 40-year-old Illinois man, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for repeatedly making violent threats against President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several congressional Democrats. After his prison term, Mouser will also undergo two years of supervised release.
According to a report by Law and Crime on Monday, June 3, 2024, U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless imposed the sentence after Mouser pleaded guilty to one count of making threats against the President of the United States.
During the sentencing, Judge Lawless emphasized the seriousness of Mouser’s actions, highlighting that “words do matter” and that threatening to kill someone is unacceptable.
The threats were uncovered on August 10, 2023, when Secret Service agents found Mouser’s posts on X (formerly Twitter). In one alarming post, Mouser vowed to kill President Biden with his bare hands and also threatened Biden’s wife. He further challenged federal authorities, asserting that he would shoot and kill them and their children.
Mouser’s threats extended to Obama and Clinton as well. In response to a post about having a meal with them, Mouser expressed his intent to shoot them under the chin.
When confronted by law enforcement at his home on August 23, 2023, Mouser admitted to making the threats and defended his actions based on First Amendment rights. However, the First Amendment does not protect threats of violence.
Despite warnings and interventions, Mouser continued to post derogatory remarks about investigators online, accusing them of protecting criminals.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service and Jacksonville Police Department. Mouser faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison for his actions.
