Ronnie "Chip" Austin Jr., 56, of Allen, has been arrested and hit with federal charges accusing him of making threats against President Donald J. Trump and transmitting threats across state lines. He was taken into custody on June 4, appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Sherman yesterday, and is set for a detention hearing on June 12.
Federal charges and court timeline
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas has charged Austin with threatening the president and with transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The FBI is handling the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp is prosecuting the case. Prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint that remains under seal, and Austin is being held in federal custody until at least the detention hearing. As reported by KVUE.
Part of 'Operation Take Back America'
Federal officials announced the arrest as part of "Operation Take Back America," a Justice Department initiative that directs Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods resources toward violent crime, drug trafficking and immigration enforcement, as reported by KERA. The initiative was established by the deputy attorney general in 2025 and has been used in coordinated sweeps by U.S. attorneys' offices around the country, as described in a Congressional Research Service analysis.
What the charges mean
Threats against the president are prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 871, while threatening communications that cross state lines can be charged under 18 U.S.C. § 875. Each statute carries potential criminal penalties of up to five years in prison. Cases involving alleged electronic threats typically draw in the Secret Service alongside other federal investigators to gather and analyze evidence.
Next steps
Because the criminal complaint is still sealed, prosecutors have not revealed what Austin is alleged to have said or sent, and defense statements were not immediately available. The June 12 detention hearing is expected to be the next public flashpoint in the case, with additional details likely to surface through court filings. For now, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI are expected to provide further information in future filings and at upcoming court appearances.
