Andrew Long Ryan, 37, of Greenbrier, Tennessee, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with two counts of making threats against the President, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. Ryan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on June 18, 2018, and is currently in federal custody.
According to records filed with the court, on May 28-29, 2018, Ryan, a former police officer with the Bowling Green, Kentucky, Police Department, posted several concerning messages on his social media accounts, including a Facebook post that read, "Death is coming," and a Twitter post that read, "I will kill Donald Trump if you don’t follow my leaders lead." President Trump visited Nashville, Tennessee on May 29, 2018.
The charging documents allege several instances of erratic behavior by Ryan during the months leading up to the President’s visit and continuing until early June 2018, when Ryan was taken into custody by the Robertson County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Department for violating a protective order previously obtained by his family. The charging documents outline allegations of Ryan’s declining mental state and threatening behavior during the past several months, including placing family members in fear of their safety and previous incidents where he drew the attention of local law enforcement; the Federal Protective Service; the FBI; and the Secret Service.
In addition, according to the charging documents, on February 14, 2018, officers with the Greenbrier Police Department seized several firearms from Ryan’s home and several law enforcement officers expressed concern that Ryan’s behavior would escalate into an act of mass violence.
If convicted, Ryan faces up to five years in prison on each count.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with valuable assistance from the Greenbrier Police Department; the Federal Protective Service; and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrader is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
--DOJ Middle District of Tennessee