Peoria Man Threatened Trump, Said He'd Kill Judge's Family: Feds

PEORIA, IL— A 33-year-old man from Peoria faces federal charges after authorities say he sent multiple threatening letters to government officials, including former President Donald Trump.

The indictment alleges Damien Grant threatened to murder a former U.S. Attorney for Central Illinois by blowing up the courthouse and also threatened to have a United States judge and their family killed.

Grant, 33, is charged with three counts of influencing a federal official by threat, two counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of threatening the President of the United States.

The case is being tried in the Northern District of Illinois after the Central District recused itself.

The indictment states that on December 1, 2020, Grant wrote in a letter addressed to a federal judge, "But there is Hope. For you to release everyone who you sentenced unfairly. If this is not done within 72 hours, I'm gonna have you killed, you and your family. I know all about you."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Grant appears to have made the threats from the Tazewell County jail. He's been in custody at the jail since his arrest in July 2019, when police said he tried to grab two Illinois state troopers' weapons during a struggle.

The indictment was returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Peoria. An arraignment has not yet been scheduled.