Rochester Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill the President, Governor, and Lieutenant Governor

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Brandon Correa, 30, of Rochester, N.Y., with making a direct threat to kill the President of the United States, Barack Obama. The defendant is also accused of making online threats to kill New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy. Each count is punishable by five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant posted online threats to kill President Obama. Correa also posted threats to kill Governor Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Duffy. The defendant was interviewed shortly after posting the threats to kill the President and told a Secret Service Agent that the President was “evil” and that he had to “die”.

The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman this afternoon. Correa was released and is due back in court on August 8, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. 

The Indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Tracy Gast, and Investigators from the New York State Police, Protective Services Unit, under the direction of Major Stephen Nevins.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.