'Marine veteran', 36, is jailed for 18 months after threatening to assassinate President Trump in a series of online rants
An apparent former US Army infantryman and Marine has been sentenced to 18 months in a Texas federal prison after he threatened to assassinate President Donald Trump, the US Justice Department has announced.
Mickael Gedlu, 36, was sentenced via video teleconference by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn on Friday. He pleaded guilty to the charges in December.
According to plea documents, Gedlu admitted to making a series of threats against the commander-in-chief's life across on social media between December 2018, and June 2019.
In one video posted to YouTube, Gedlu reportedly said: 'I am waiting for Trump to visit Dallas before I attempt to assassinate him.'
In another post made to Facebook, the 36-year-old said: 'For 20 straight months now, openly and publicly, I have been calling for President Trump's death.'
According to plea documents, Gedlu admitted to making a series of threats against the commander-in-chief's life across a number of months on social media between December 2018, and June 2019 (Trump pictured in Dallas May 31, 2018)
In one video posted to YouTube, Gedlu (left and right during USMC training) reportedly said: 'I am waiting for Trump to visit Dallas before I attempt to assassinate him'
During court proceedings, prosecutors said that on May 31, 2018, Gedlu was observed across the street from Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel just 30 minutes before Trump arrived there for a fundraiser.
Police officers noticed Gedlu holding a 'Kill Trump' sign, and detained him while he repeatedly screamed 'kill the president'.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Gedlu served as a Flight Equipment Technician for the US Marine Corps between 2002 and 2008, as well as a Mechanized Infantryman for the US Army between 2007 and 2010.
A number of photographs uploaded to his Facebook account appear to show that Gedlu served with the military in Baghdad, Iraq, and was based at JSS Istiqlal.
The Marines and the National Personnel Records Center has not yet responded to a DailyMail.com request for comment regarding Gedlu's apparent military career.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Gedlu (pictured in training in 2003) served as a Flight Equipment Technician for the US Marine Corps between 2002 and 2008, as well as a Mechanized Infantryman for the US Army between 2007 and 2010
A number of photographs uploaded to his Facebook account show that Gedlu served with the military in Baghdad, Iraq (on tour left), and was based at JSS Istiqlal
Gedlu's Facebook page also contains dozens of posts about the president, with many underscored with calls to 'KILL TRUMP!'
After sharing an op-ed written by the Washington Post that Trump is normalizing racism, Gedlu wrote in May 2018: 'The President of the United States, Donald John Trump, showed up to the Adolphus Hotel, the day after I posted this article, May 31st, in downtown Dallas.
'I held up a sign saying, KILL TRUMP. I was placed in hand cuffs by about 10 Dallas police officer,' Gedlu wrote, confirming prosecutors' claims.
'I believe it was the SS that suggested I be taken to a hospital instead of jail. I was surprised at the leniency the police showed me as I screamed, "KILL THE PRESIDENT, KILL TRUMP, repetitively. The president showed up, where I was arrested, 2 hours after I was arrested. Grab em by the MAGA hat.'
Gedlu’s father, Gizaw, told the Star-Telegram in July last year that his son is a 'sick person.'
Gedlu’s father, Gizaw, told the Star-Telegram in July last year that his son is a 'sick person'
Gizaw said his son is disabled and mentally confused, having been admitted to hospital a number of times because of unspecified mental health issues.
The father said he was unaware of his son's social media activity, but said he knew Gedlu wrote a lot of emails and said his son would regularly watch the news and then 'go outside and shout about the president'.
'That’s his problem,' Gizaw Gedlu, 71, said. 'He talks too much, simply.
'Doctors give him medicine. Sometimes he’s not taking it.'
Judge Lynn had earlier ordered a psychological examination and granted a defense motion seeking to determine Gedlu’s competency. However, whether such an exam was ever conducted - or its conclusion - was not clear from court records.
Prosecutors said the US Secret Service conducted the investigation into Gedlu with the assistance of Dallas police.
'Marine veteran', 36, is jailed for 18 months after threatening to assassinate President Trump in a series of online rants
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April 27, 2020
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