US Secret Service charges Kansas man with threatening to harm Biden
By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN
The US Secret Service has charged a Kansas man with threatening to harm President Joe Biden, allegedly telling agents that “he had been told by God to travel to Washington, DC to ‘lop off the head of the serpent in the heart of the nation.’ “
Agents found Scott Ryan Merryman in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint. He allegedly explained to the agents that he was heading to the White House because “he had to deliver a message to President Biden, and advise him that people were fed up with the divisiveness in the country and to turn back to God (or go to hell).”
Merryman is charged with making threats against the President of the United States and with interstate communication containing a threat to harm. There is no information about an attorney for Merryman listed in online court records.
CNN has reached out to the Secret Service and the Maryland US Attorney’s Office for comment on the case, which was first reported by The Daily Beast.
Secret Service agents said in the complaint that they had searched Merryman and found a magazine loaded with three rounds of .45 ammunition and a spotting scope in his backpack — but no weapons. They said Merryman had told them that God told him to bring the ammo and that the spotting scope was for “doing recon.”
The next day, Merryman called the White House switchboard shortly after 11 a.m., according to court records, and made threats against Biden. In the call to the White House, Merryman allegedly said he was “coming to the White House, and was going to cut off the head of the snake/anti-Christ.”
The White House operator called the Secret Service and an agent then spoke with Merryman. During the conversation with the agent, Merryman allegedly said, “I’m coming for his b*tch a** sleepy Joe. I’m talking about President Biden and you can quote me.”
The agent said Merryman continued making threats, saying, “I’m coming with three bullets no guns.”
“You got two minutes, and then I’m coming,” he told the agent, according to the complaint. “That’s it! You’re dead!”
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