A Pennsylvania man is facing serious charges after allegedly using social media to threaten high-profile individuals, including the President. Stacy Wayne Mann, 51, from Dickson City, is accused of making threats against President Donald Trump, various government officials, law enforcement, and Jewish individuals through posts on Facebook.
Mann’s posts on July 15 reportedly expressed his desire to be near the President, with a message stating, “I’m God’s assassin… Please America, get me next to the POTUS … I got you America.” The abbreviation POTUS stands for President of the United States.
Mann has been charged with making terroristic threats, according to State Trooper Justin Leri.
FBI Involvement Sparks Investigation
The investigation began when the U.S. Secret Service was alerted by the FBI on July 9 about Mann’s threatening Facebook activity. The posts reportedly targeted President Donald J. Trump, other officials, and law enforcement personnel.
State police reviewed Mann’s Facebook profile, finding approximately 30,000 posts. Many of these posts allegedly contained threats against various governmental figures and citizens, particularly those of Jewish heritage.
Trooper Details Mann’s Alleged Intent
According to the affidavit, Trooper Leri noted that Mann’s posts not only called for violence but also suggested he intended to carry out these acts himself. Mann’s criminal history includes robbery, aggravated assault, and drug-related offenses.
Authorities used Mann’s driver’s license to locate him in Dickson City, where he had previously lived in the basement of a homeowner for whom he worked in a plumbing business.
Alleged Obsession with Violence
The homeowner reported that Mann was fixated on the idea of killing government officials and regularly spoke about it. The affidavit quotes the homeowner as saying Mann had a history of violence and frequently posted about his intentions to harm government and law enforcement officials.
In a Facebook post on July 16, Mann wrote, “I’m serious America, if I have to lived with this kind of deprivation, I’d rather kill these (expletive) and try and take as many of them with me before I go.”
Another post from the same day read, “I already know I’m going to wind up taking a gun going live on Facebook and cutely killing a couple police officers, judges, DA, congressman, City Council members, online scream (sic) at some point.”
Two days prior, he had labeled certain police officers as “government employed terrorist(s)” and encouraged others to “rise up” and “kill every police officer you come in (contact) with!”
Mann remains in custody at the Lackawanna County Prison, unable to meet the $25,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for August 5 at 10:15 a.m.
