Detectives with the York County Sheriff's Office say they opened an investigation after social media posts from a woman in Greer appeared to threaten President Donald Trump and his supporters. The agency says it first learned of the online posts on March 25, then shared a public advisory about the situation on March 30. Federal partners are now involved in reviewing the material, according to local officials.
In a public statement, the York County Sheriff's Office said detectives worked to verify the credibility of the information and then initiated an investigation into the posts. The department noted that the content appeared to come from a female's residence in Greer and that the same individual previously lived in Fort Mill.
Secret Service Role In Online Threat Allegations
According to agency strategy documents, the U.S. Secret Service routinely investigates possible threats involving its protectees and coordinates protective intelligence work with local law enforcement. The guidance indicates that digital tips and online posts are screened, then can move into more formal protective investigations that involve cross-agency collaboration. Those systems are set up to quickly spot and evaluate potential risks that surface on social media.
What Federal Law Says About Threats To The President
Federal law makes threatening the President a criminal offense, and prosecutors can file charges under 18 U.S.C. § 871, which carries possible penalties of fines and up to five years in prison, according to Justia. Courts have held that the government must show a "true threat" and not just heated political rhetoric when bringing such a case. The involvement of the Secret Service in situations like this often means investigators are working to determine whether comments cross that legal line.
For now, York County's Facebook advisory remains the main public description of the investigation. The post says local detectives are still involved while the U.S. Secret Service conducts follow-up work, and the York County Sheriff's Office provided the full public statement on the incident.
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