DETROIT — A 25-year-old man from Ann Arbor, Michigan, was charged in federal court on Tuesday with sending a threatening message that described a plan for violence in the event of a potential victory for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Isaac Sissel, who is currently staying in Ann Arbor, allegedly sent an anonymous threat online on November 2, which was received by the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia. According to court records, the message referenced plans to target “conservative christan [sic] filth” and claimed possession of a stolen AR-15 rifle. The message stated, “I shall carry out an attack… in the event trump wins the election,” and went on to say, “Without a specific victim or ability to find the place I hid the gun, there’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack.”
The FBI arrested Sissel on Tuesday morning, and he was scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit later that afternoon. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, led by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson.
The case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was launched in 2021 under the direction of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. The task force was established to address a rise in threats against election workers and aims to ensure that election officials can operate free from intimidation and violence.
The task force has been working closely with local law enforcement and FBI field offices across the country to investigate and prosecute threats connected to election activities. It encourages the public to report any suspected threats or violent acts related to elections through local FBI offices or via a national hotline.
