Man Charged With Drunkenly Threatening to Kill the President

One drunk dial to the Secret Service landed Jonathan W. Smead, 35, an indictment in federal court on charges of threatening to kill President Barack Obama and Sec. Hillary Clinton, according to a Department of Justice press release.

A caller identifying himself as Jonathan W. Smead called the U.S. Secret Service in Chicago -- forwarded from the service’s Cleveland office -- and stated, "I want to kill President Obama," according to the criminal complaint filed in the case. The caller discussed past assassins such as John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald before saying he also wanted to kill Hillary Clinton.

The caller provided Smead’s Social Security number, date of birth and said he lived with his grandmother on Spring Road in Cleveland. The caller concluded the conversation by stating he wanted, "federal charges, not little state charges."

During an interview conducted the following day, Smead admitted to making the phone call after drinking alcohol and does not wish harm on President Obama or Secretary Clinton, according to the Department of Justice press release. He said he had recently been watching “The West Wing” and was interested in presidents like Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Two books related to JFK's assassination were found in Smead's bedroom during a consensual search.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with assistance from the Cleveland Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Filiatraut.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Police