Raleigh Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Kill POTUS and U.S. Secret Service Agent

RALEIGH, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced a Raleigh man on Friday to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, for threatening to kill then-President Joseph Biden and threatening to kill the U.S. Secret Service agent who came to investigate the original threat. On August 19, 2025, he pleaded guilty to the charges.

"This sentence makes one thing clear: threatening to murder the President of the United States or any federal agents sworn to protect our nation will bring swift and serious consequences," said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. "We do not tolerate violent statements that cross the line into criminal threats. Our office will continue to defend the safety of our public officials and stand firmly behind our law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm's way to protect us every day."

"This case highlights the dangers our public officials face every day," stated Meghan Dubea, USSS Resident Agent in Charge - Raleigh Resident Office. "Law enforcement and our judicial system must never waver even when threatened with violence or facing danger. We are thankful for the Raleigh Police Department and for the United States Attorney's Office for ensuring Michael Ferr was held accountable."

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Michael James Ferr, 31, posted several disturbing comments on X.com (formerly Twitter) on January 10, 2025. His comments included death threats to then-President Biden.

On January 14, 2025, U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed Ferr about his threats. During the interview, Ferr threatened to kill the agent.

The National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The United States Secret Service investigated the case with the assistance from Raleigh Police Department.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00085.