A federal grand jury in Shreveport has indicted Justin Chadwick Butler, a 31-year-old resident of the city, on three counts related to cyberstalking and making threats against public officials. The indictment alleges that Butler used social media to threaten the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the United States.
According to court documents, Butler posted several threatening messages targeting the Speaker, often tagging the official’s account directly. Among his posts were statements such as “couldnt [sic] lie so smoothly with bullet holes in his face,” “is a traitor. Death to traitors,” and an expression of hope to see “lots of dead ICE agents and Traitor Mike with a patriotic bullet through his lying face soon.” He also wrote, “think[s] holes in traitors faces is the next step.” Additional messages included: “[a] real patriot would kill some of these traitors” and references to himself and others intending to “drop those two traitors.”
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller commented on the case: “Threats against public officials and our Nation’s leaders are threats to our democracy and our American way of life, and we will not tolerate them. For those who would use the mask of internet anonymity to threaten others, the message here is clear: our many state and federal law enforcement partners will track you down, and you will face justice.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the United States Capitol Police, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, United States Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins is prosecuting the case with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.
Butler could face up to five years in federal prison for each count if convicted, along with three years of supervised release per count.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana announced these charges.
It is important to note that an indictment is an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
More information about this case can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla or by accessing court records at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Number 26-CR-00088.
