⏱ 2 min read
Garry Lee Williams, a 44-year-old Knoxville man, has been indicted on 22 counts for making public threats to murder and maim national public officials, Knox County public officials, and members of his own family on TikTok. The threats were made between January and April 2026, and included 11 separate threats to murder President Trump, one threat to murder a member of President Trump’s immediate family, and seven separate threats to murder the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Williams also made threats to murder the Knox County Sheriff and the Chief of the Knoxville Police Department, as well as numerous family members.
Williams appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville on August 4, 2026, and pleaded not guilty. He was detained in custody pending trial, which has been set for October 6, 2026, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge.
If convicted, Williams faces a total term of 145 years in prison. The maximum prison sentence for each violation of the charges against him includes a term of years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the FBI, and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Tennessee
- Location: TN
- Source: DOJ Press Release
