Federal agents say a man thousands of miles from Lansing was plotting deadly violence against Michigan's governor and state capitol. Ronald Saville, 48, of Honolulu, is now facing a federal case after prosecutors say he threatened to kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and carry out a mass shooting at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.
According to a criminal complaint, Saville is accused of sending interstate communications that contained explicit death threats and of telling the FBI he intended to follow through. Authorities say he was tracked down and arrested in Texas on June 1 and is being held there while he awaits transfer back to Hawaii.
What prosecutors say
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii said court records show Saville first got the attention of law enforcement on May 9. That day, he allegedly emailed Michigan State Police and wrote that he was "going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible."
Prosecutors say he did not stop there. According to the complaint, Saville later emailed Gov. Whitmer directly with another message warning that Lansing would "never be the same." On May 12, he allegedly told an FBI agent that he had been researching travel plans to Michigan and still intended to carry out the threat.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says it filed a criminal complaint on June 1 charging Saville with sending interstate communications that contained threats.
Arrest and charges
BNO News reported that federal authorities located Saville in Abilene, Texas, where he was arrested on June 1. His initial appearance in federal court there ended with a judge ordering that he remain detained while he is transported to the District of Hawaii to face the charges.
The complaint alleges that Saville sent threatening interstate communications. Prosecutors say each count carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and fines that can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, with the press release citing a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Past convictions and political context
Court filings also outline a history of similar behavior. Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii for making threats, including threats directed at former President George W. Bush in 2006 and at U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway in 2012, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii.
The latest allegations land in a state that has already seen high-profile threats against its governor. In 2020, a militia plot to kidnap Whitmer was uncovered and led to multiple federal prosecutions, underscoring that threats to state leaders remain a federal priority, according to AP News.
What happens next
For now, Saville remains in custody, detained pending his transfer to Hawaii. Once there, federal prosecutors will decide whether to present the case to a grand jury and seek an indictment. The criminal complaint lists Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner as the prosecutor handling the matter.
As with any federal case, these are still only allegations. Saville is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. If he is indicted and later convicted, any sentence would be imposed by a U.S. district judge under the relevant federal sentencing statutes.
Legal implications
Federal law makes it a crime to transmit threats across state lines. Under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), sending a communication that contains a threat to injure another person is a federal offense punishable by up to five years in prison. If a conviction is obtained, a sentence can also include fines and a term of supervised release.
Investigators say the FBI is continuing its probe while the case moves through the federal court system.
