⏱ 2 min read
A suburban Chicago man, Trent Schneider, 58, has been sentenced to three years and two months in federal prison for making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump. On October 21, 2025, Schneider posted a video on Instagram stating that people like judges, doctors, lawyers, and police should be killed, and he would get guns to take care of business himself. He also appeared at the Lake County courthouse and threatened to burn it down.
Schneider’s threats were taken seriously, and a federal jury in Chicago convicted him of making a true threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. The sentence was announced by US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service Chicago Field Office, Jim Morley.
The investigation was assisted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department. US Attorney Boutros stated that threats against public officials are an attack on democracy and must be met with swift and serious consequences.
Schneider’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes, and the US Attorney’s Office is working to prevent such threats in the future. The case highlights the importance of taking threats against public officials seriously and holding those who make them accountable.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Illinois
- Location: IL
- Source: DOJ Press Release
