Detention hearing continued to next week for suspect in Trump threats

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

The detention hearing for Army veteran Daniel Swain, the South Carolinian arrested in North Carolina accused of being headed to Washington, on Thursday was continued until next week.

He’s charged with communicating threats to the president.

In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Swain is now scheduled to appear May 15 at 9 a.m. in the Terry Sanford Federal Building and Courthouse in Raleigh. The motion to continue was uncontested, with reason to allow the defense counsel time to prepare for the probable cause and detention hearings.

Swain, of Summerville, S.C., was arrested in North Carolina on April 28 because of threats scrawled onto the vehicle authorities believe he was driving to Washington in search of second-term Republican President Donald Trump. The arrest in Apex at a car wash drew action from the U.S. Secret Service, the State Bureau of Investigation and its bomb squad, and the FBI.

According to the federal complaint, “The defendant, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.”

If convicted, he could face five years in prison.

In Wake County District Court, he faces charges of resisting a public officer, possession of methamphetamine and a fictitious license plate.

Swain will remain jailed until the federal hearing.

Apex police said he had written threatening messages on the outside of his vehicle. One message read, “headed to WSH to kill the Pres.” The rear window messages said, “Tell Donald he is fired,” “5 dead 5 years,” and “3 Navy, Teacher & Trucker.”

A message on the passenger side window told the read to commit suicide. That was among the messages scrawled out after a car wash, according to the federal complaint relying on surveillance video.

The federal warrant says Swain “stated his motivation to write the threats on the vehicle was his perceived wrongful death of his father, uncle and grandfather. These family members served in the military and died under suspicious health-related circumstances.”