Former FBI director faces two felony counts alleging threats against President Trump, with first appearance set for May 11.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to appear in federal court in Greenville, North Carolina, on May 11 following an indictment on charges related to a social media post prosecutors allege contained a threat against President Donald Trump.
The case stems from a grand jury indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina charging Comey with two felony counts. The charges include knowingly making a threat to take the life of the president and transmitting a communication in interstate or foreign commerce containing a threat to kill the president. The full indictment can be reviewed here.
Comey had previously appeared in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, earlier in the week, where he was taken into custody during his arraignment.
The charges relate to a May social media post in which Comey shared an image captioned “Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” referencing the numbers “8647.” Prosecutors allege the message constituted a threat directed at the 47th president.
If convicted, Comey faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors have also moved to seize proceeds tied to Comey’s forthcoming book, alleging the post was intended to generate publicity and financial gain. A forfeiture notice included in the indictment states that, upon conviction, any property derived from the alleged offense would be subject to seizure.
President Trump addressed the post in a Truth Social statement, writing, “’86’ is a mob term for ‘kill him.’ They say 86 him! 86 47 means ‘kill President Trump.’ James Comey… knows this full well!”
The case will proceed in federal court as prosecutors pursue the charges outlined in the indictment.
Original article
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