Richardson man who threatened to assassinate Trump gets 18 months in federal prison

A Richardson man has been sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison for threatening to kill President Donald Trump.

Mickael Eyob Gedlu, who was indicted in July, pleaded guilty in December to the federal charge of threats against the president.

Gedlu, 36, had faced a sentence of up to five years behind bars. He must serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court documents, Gedlu admitted posting “I’m waiting for Trump to visit Dallas before I attempt to assassinate him” in the comments for a video on Fox News’ YouTube channel on Dec. 29, 2018.

Prosecutors said that seven months before that post, Gedlu had been across the street from The Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas, where Trump attended a fundraiser on May 31, 2018. Half an hour before the president’s arrival, police detained Gedlu, who was yelling “Kill the president” and holding a sign that said “Kill Trump,” authorities said.

Gedlu has no apparent previous criminal history. His social-media accounts indicate that he served in the Marines and was honorably discharged; the National Personnel Records Center, which verifies military service, says the coronavirus pandemic limits it to responding only to urgent requests.