ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
03/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/11/2026 13:36
Man Sentenced for Threatening to Murder Federal Agents (DOJ)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Johnathan Trent Thomas, 27, of Linwood, N.C., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for making threats to murder federal officers to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the performance of their official duties, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Mark Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today's announcement.
"Threatening the lives of law enforcement officers is a serious federal crime," said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. "We take every threat against law enforcement seriously. Today's case sends a clear message: those who threaten violence against law enforcement will be held accountable in federal court."
"Ensuring the safety of our law enforcement officers is paramount," said Special Agent in Charge Zito. "Threats of violence against federal agents and our local partners undermine the rule of law and jeopardize the security of our communities. HSI remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate or harm officers in the performance of their duties."
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a caller, later identified as Thomas, contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and CMPD officers if immigration enforcement actions did not stop. During a second telephone call with a CMPD officer, Thomas warned that he was coming to Charlotte with armor piercing ammunition, night vision devices, and body armor to kill law enforcement officers and threatened to "shoot them all" if he observed anyone making arrests. Thomas was referencing arrests made previously by ICE federal agents on Albemarle Road in Charlotte.
Court documents show that Thomas stated that if a police officer pointed a gun at him, he was just going to open fire. He also said that he would "Swiss cheese" the officers if they were doing the same thing they did before, meaning making arrests.
Thomas additionally threatened that if law enforcement came to arrest him, he had Tannerite (an explosive) all around his house. He threatened that he "could do a whole lot better than" April 29, 2024, the day four law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte.
Thomas's threats did not deter law enforcement, who not only arrested him, but executed a search warrant at Thomas's residence, seizing three rifles, a handgun, and a variety of ammunition.
According to court records, Thomas has an extensive history of threatening law enforcement, to include the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and CMPD, and had previously followed CMPD officers in marked patrol cars while they were performing their official duties.
Thomas is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for the investigation of the case and thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kelly and Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Updated March 10, 2026
ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives published this content on March 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 11, 2026 at 19:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]