Judge detains Cleveland Meredith on charges of threatening Nancy Pelosi and DC mayor

A man accused of threatening to kill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC in disturbing text messages were taken into pre-trial detention last week. A judge said Thursday that Cleveland Meredith, 53, of North Carolina, would pose “some danger” to the community if released.

US Magistrate Justice Michael Harvey said the government had a strong case to prove Meredith was a “real threat,” meaning it had communicated a serious intention to cause harm in the wake of January 6. assault on the Capitol. Harvey called Meredith’s alleged threats “numerous, graphic and of a level of concern to the court.”

“If I had a more concerning threat case ahead of me, I can’t remember it,” Harvey said. “It’s definitely up there.”

Harvey said he was particularly concerned because Meredith drove from Colorado to Washington, DC with a cache of weapons and ammunition. Harvey said this makes the threats stand out from others he examines, posted online by people far from their alleged target.

“You’ve traveled across the country from Colorado and brought the means to respond to your threats,” Harvey said.

Meredith faces federal charges of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, possession of an unregistered firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition. He practically appeared at Thursday’s detention hearing and appeared to wipe tears from his eyes as proceedings began. He later held his head in his hands.

Federal prosecutors have said Meredith intended to travel to Washington to participate in the Jan.6 riot, which left five people dead, but later arrived because her car broke down. Assistant US Attorney Ahmed Baset said Meredith sent text messages as he traveled to Washington on January 6 and the next day to Washington which contained “misogynistic and violent rhetoric” and “horrific” and “no-nonsense” threats. previous”.

According to a prosecution file, Meredith described the conduct in DC as “target practice”, referred to “wartime” and said he was “strategizing on how best to attack this town” .

“I am so ready to FK SOME TRAITORS UP,” one reads, according to the file.

The day after the riot, when Meredith arrived in Washington, he reportedly threatened to kill Bowser and Pelosi, who had made televised statements condemning the assault on Capitol Hill.

“I’m thinking of going to Pelosi [expletive] Meredith would have written. He also threatened Bowser, “I can go to the mayor’s office and put a 5.56 in his head.

Meredith reportedly said he wanted to kill using armor-piercing bullets, which were among the 2,500 rounds of ammunition investigators found in his trailer when he was arrested that day by federal authorities. Baset said Meredith also brought two firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle, extended magazines and a scope, “suggesting he wanted to identify specific targets or at least focus on them.”

Baset stated that Meredith was a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory, and argued that he could be further radicalized via social media if released before trial. Meredith had also “hit someone in the head” in Washington over a road rage conflict and shouted a racial epithet at a witness, Baset said, further demonstrating her dangerousness.

Meredith’s attorney, Deputy Federal Public Defender Ubong Akpan, said he intended to joke about the disturbing text messages and felt remorse for making them. Akpan said Meredith admitted to investigators that he crossed the line.

“Based on the government’s own evidence, Mr. Meredith intended his comments to be a joke,” Akpan said. “Whether they are received that way or not is a separate question.”

Akpan said Meredith did not travel to Washington to participate in an “insurgency” as the government had suggested, but rather to attend a political rally as he had done the year before. Apkan said Meredith, a father living in North Carolina, took the guns with him on a trip to Colorado, realizing as he was driving from Colorado to the district that guns were not allowed there.

Akpan said Meredith would be willing to adhere to strict pre-trial release conditions, including GPS monitoring. But Harvey dismissed the suggestion, addressing Meredith: “GPS monitoring is flawed, and I don’t think we have room for error when it comes to you.”

“I don’t believe I could create conditions that would keep the community safe, frankly any community right now,” Harvey said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the case on January 28.

Clare Hymes contributed reporting.