FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Wearing a tan jumpsuit and with his hands shackled, a Broward County man accused of threatening to kill President Donald Trump in a Facebook Live video appeared in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Friday afternoon.
Judge Lurana Snow did not rule on bond for 26-year-old Chauncy Devonte Lump.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office are asking that Lump be held on pre-trial detention, meaning he wouldn't get out of jail until further notice. They argued Lump is a danger to the community and may flee the area if he's released from the Broward County Jail.
Judge Snow scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. to set bond for Lump.
Lump faces a federal charge of threats against the President of the United States, along with a county charge of making a false bomb report.
According to a criminal complaint, Lump posted a video on Facebook Live on Jan. 3 under the username "BlackMan Vs America," in which he threatened to kill President Trump.
Lump had "white cream on his face, a towel on his head, wrapped like a turban, and what appeared to be a shower curtain over his body," according to the complaint. Music was playing in the background that appeared "to originate from the Middle East."
The Facebook Live stream lasted seven minutes, and Lump made multiple threats to kill or hurt the president, according to court records.
"He killed my leader, and I have to kill him. I am ready for Donald," Lump said in the video, the complaint stated.
Authorities said Lump made the video in response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was taken out by an American drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq earlier this month.
"I need to find the Donald, because if I don't find him, I am going to have to blow up Broward County," Lump said, according to the complaint.
The complaint also said Lump had "what appears to be a loaded AK-47" in the Facebook Live.
When confronted by law enforcement officials, Lump admitted to making the video, but said "the threats in the video were intended to be a joke," according to the criminal complaint.
"However, at no point in the video did Lump claim he was joking," the complaint added.
Court records show Lump lives in an apartment in Oakland Park and holds a concealed weapon/firearm permit in the state of Florida. He is also licensed and employed as a security officer.
Investigators say for more than 7 mins on Facebook, Lump made threats to @POTUS, while he was in South Florida, in response to the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. They say he also threatened to blow up Broward County. @WPTV pic.twitter.com/f6FqjCZVGi
— Ryan Hughes (@HughesWPTV) January 10, 2020
