A Center Line man who threatened to assassinate Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and called for violence against DTE Energy shareholders is headed to federal prison for 10 months, according to federal prosecutors. Steven Conway, 40, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of communicating threats in interstate commerce and will face two years of supervised release after serving his prison term. U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. White handed down the sentence following Conway’s guilty plea.
Prosecutors say Conway first called a DTE Energy call center in Milwaukee in January 2025 and "threatened to hunt down and target for assassination" the company’s shareholders. A few days later, he allegedly turned to an online dating site to post threats about Gov. Whitmer. Those allegations are detailed in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Local reporting filled in more of Conway’s backstory, noting he has a prior Macomb County conviction for threatening a judge and police officers. Investigators say the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force worked the case alongside the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, West Bloomfield Police and Center Line Police. ClickOnDetroit reported those details.
In the release, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon condemned Conway’s threats as "an attack on the rule of law," while Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, warned that the FBI "will not tolerate any attempt to intimidate, endanger, or coerce individuals through online platforms." The office also noted that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Carr and Catherine Morris prosecuted the case, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
What the Law Says
Conway’s guilty plea involved federal charges tied to sending threats across state lines. Under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), transmitting a communication that contains a threat to injure another person carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison per count, with the actual sentence depending on the facts of the case and federal sentencing guidelines. The statute text and penalty structure are available through LII / Cornell Law School.
Why It Matters in Michigan
The sentencing lands in a state that is already on edge about threats aimed at the governor, following the 2020 kidnapping conspiracy that led to federal convictions and lengthy prison terms for the ringleaders. That earlier case highlighted how aggressively federal authorities can respond when public officials are targeted with violent plots. The Washington Post covered those sentences on the national stage.
Prosecutors say the Conway investigation involved cooperation between the FBI and local law enforcement partners, and that the 10 month sentence is meant to underscore that online threats are treated as real crimes with real consequences. Agency assistance in the probe was noted by ClickOnDetroit.
