Scott Merryman: Kansas man on ‘mission from God’ to assassinate Joe Biden charged
Scott Merryman from Independence, Kansas, was arrested by Secret Service agents on January 26, 2022, after threatening to kill President Joe Biden. Merryman made the threat on Facebook, where he posted God told him to kill Biden. Merryman also phoned the Independence PD to confirm he was on his way to Washington DC, which was forwarded to the Secret Service and used to charge him.
This isn't the first time Biden's been at the receiving end of death threats. While most Presidents have received threats during their tenures, the politically-charged atmosphere has made the threats to Biden more concerning. In May 2021, John Thornton was arrested for threatening to kill the President for "treason". A day before the Capitol insurrection, traffic controllers in New York received a message saying a plane would be flown into the Capitol when Congress meet with then-President-Elect Biden.
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Merryman has been charged with a felony under US Code 871, and 875(c). Both charges carry a five-year sentence and unspecified amounts in fines. A criminal complaint was filed in the US District Court of Maryland, which was filed on January 28.
Who is Scott Merryman?
Merryman's Facebook profile says he is the owner of 508th Construction, a Neodesha-based firm. He started that firm in 2018, nearly a decade after he left the US Army. Merryman claims to be an airborne paratrooper who was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina between 2005 and 2010. Little else is known about Merryman, and he doesn't appear to have a previous criminal record.
According to the criminal complaint, Merryman called Independence PD on January 25, as he was en route to DC. The next day, Special Agent Greg Tiano held a telephonic call with Merryman, where he said God had told him to "lop off the head of the serpent in the heart of the nation", but denied the "serpent" was the President. Instead, he claimed he simply wanted to speak to Biden, or anyone at the White House because he had "information about the Book of Revelation."
Later that day, he was stopped by the Secret Service in Hagerstown, Maryland where he reiterated those claims. A search found a scope and a loaded magazine on him, but no gun. Later, Merryman called Tiano and said, "I’m coming for you b---h," which the complaint notes was made at Tiano and not Biden. He then called the White House switchboard and threatened the President, saying, "I’m coming for his b---h ass sleepy Joe. I’m talking about President Biden and you can quote me."
The complaint also notes numerous Facebook posts Merryman made. Between January 25 and 27, Merryman posted multiple times about his plans to go to DC, saying things like "I'm going on a God-led journey to our nations capital," and "We’re going to change the world for the better." In another post, he called Tiano "Lucifer" and added, " I’m going to go lop the wicked old serpents head off with my razor sharp double edged long sword." On January 27, Merryman posted, "I believe Joe Biden is the AntiChrist now and he will suffer a fatal head wound. I’ll deal that blow in Christ’s name," adding, "I’m going to do it with bullets and no gun."
In his last post, Merryman claims an employee at the Cracker Barrell where he was stopped by Secret Service agents is his wife. It's unclear if Merryman is currently in custody, the complaint simply seeks an arrest warrant in his name. There's also no information about an attorney for him.