BOSTON – A Massachusetts teen has been charged with threatening the President of the United States in addition to threatening to kill others.
According to the Department of Justice, 18-year-old Trenton Touch was charged by criminal complaint with making a threat against the President of the United States. Touch is currently in state custody and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday.
According to the charging documents, law enforcement received information relating to four Instagram accounts that contained violent and threatening content, including a threat against the President of the United States. Further investigation revealed that Touch is the alleged user of all four accounts. Records showed that Touch allegedly submitted multiple communications in which he threatened to kill others. These messages included alleged threats to shoot up a school and “kill trump.”
Touch allegedly posted an image of a firearm in an Instagram direct message along with a threat:
Touch allegedly made frequent references to mass shooters specifically those who conducted their attacks based on racially motivated violent extremism, referring to these mass shooters as “heroes,” and frequently referencing the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand that killed 51 people.
During a search of Touch’s residence, a revolver-style firearm was seized along with multiple military-style or military surplus items including camouflage clothing, a ballistics helmet, military-style knives and a hatchet.
“Trenton Touch is an individual whose alleged threats could not be ignored,” said United States Attorney Leah Foley. “Threatening the President of the United States is a serious crime and is not protected free speech. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who incites violence and threatens harm.”
“Trenton Touch is an alleged white supremacist who now stands accused of threatening to kill the President. Based on the evidence recovered by FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force – including a firearm, military-style knives, a hatchet, and a ballistics helmet – he allegedly had the means to do it. There’s no question Mr. Touch posed a grave threat to public safety,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division. “Your FBI will continue to work closely with our partners, using every tool available, to protect the public and stop people from turning violent rhetoric into action.”
The charge of making a threat against the President provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Docks; and Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Looney of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
In addition to the federal case, on Monday, Oct. 26, at about 6:00 a.m., Tewksbury Police and law enforcement partners served a search warrant. While searching the residence, police found a revolver-style handgun and ammunition. Touch did not have a proper Firearms Identification Card (FID).
Touch was arrested without incident and charged with Possession of a Firearm Without FID Card, Possession of Ammunition Without FID Card, and Improper Storage of a Firearm. He was arraigned in Lowell District Court and was held on $50,000 cash bail, with the condition that if bail is posted, he will be held to home confinement with a GPS-monitoring device. He was also ordered not to possess any firearms.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
