EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) -
An Illinois man has been charged after posting online several times that he wants to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The Belleville News-Democrat (http://bit.ly/2ssw5WM ) reports that Joseph Lynn Pickett of Edwardsville was charged June 15 with threatening the president of the United States.
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Vincent Pescitelli says in a criminal complaint that Pickett "did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm" against Trump on Facebook.
The Secret Service was notified of the posts by Pickett's former co-workers.
A screenshot of one of Pickett's Facebook posts in the complaint says, "Honestly am I really going to have to kill trump before our fine Government ... actually takes me into custody for threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump?"
A phone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment from Public Defender Thomas Gabel was not immediately returned.
