Photo of Neil Walter included in an FBI affidavit file in federal court in reference to criminal charges against Michigan man seen in fotos for threatening FBI director and member of Congress.
F.B.I.
A Michigan man who owns a registered handgun was arrested for making death threats against FBI Director Chris Wray two weeks after making similar threats against Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California, in accordance with a federal court filing released Tuesday.
The person, identified as Neil Matthew Walter, was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure one other person.
Walter, a 32-year-old resident of Grand Blanc, was ordered temporarily detained without bail during an appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He’s next because of appear in that court on Dec. 1 for a detention hearing.
Garamendi’s office reported to U.S. Capitol Police that it had received a threatening voicemail allegedly left by Walter on the night of Nov. 3, in accordance with a criminal grievance.
“John. Hey John. You are gonna die John. You are gonna die,” the voicemail said, in accordance with an affidavit by an FBI agent attached to the grievance.
When Capitol Police requested a welfare check on Walter at his home, he answered an area police detective “with a firearm in his hand and initially refused to drop the gun or exit the residence,” the filing said.
Walter then “placed the handgun within the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt but kept his hand over the firearm during police contact.”
The affidavit said Walter ranted on the detective.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. August 4, 2022.
Jim Bourg | Reuters
When Walter’s father arrived on the residence, the dad told investigators “of his son’s mental instability and prior history of being committed to a Florida hospital,” the FBI agent wrote.
Walter’s mother later told police he had been “diagnosed with an unspecified psychosis,” in accordance with the affidavit.
On Nov. 10, when Capitol Police made contact with Walter’s mother, she told them he “is refusing mental health treatment, continues to be in possession of a handgun, and made statements he would protect himself if anyone involves attempt to take him from his home.”
Later that very same day, Walter contacted the Capitol Police’s criminal investigations unit and “expressed strong discontent explaining the USCP mustn’t have called his family about him,” and said Capitol Police “are going to make it worse,” the affidavit said.
Greater than per week later, on Saturday, Walter then used his Facebook account to post a series of threatening comments to a live stream video showing Wray, the FBI director, in accordance with the affidavit.
“Director Wray goes to die each day multiple times a day for raping my family time and again and lying to them and myself about it I’ll kill you I’ll you I’ll kill you director Wray you’ll die I’ll kill you in self defense,” one in every of Walter’s posts read.
Walter’s Facebook page also featured a variety of comments “stating beliefs that half the Senators, the FBI, CIA, police, Tom Cruise, and Elon Musk are involved in a toddler slave rape ring, listing various locations where these rings are positioned, one in every of which identified america Capitol Constructing,” in accordance with the FBI.
A firearms check showed that Walter has a registered Sig Sauer 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. Walter’s mother told the FBI he also has a revolver pistol, in accordance with the affidavit.