(PresidentialHill.com)- A Michigan man accused of making online death threats against President Biden and Governor Gretchen Whitmer was charged last Thursday with unlawfully owning several firearms, according to a complaint filed in US District Court.
Randal Robert Berka II, who was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, was not charged with making the online threats. He was detained pending a hearing on March 15.
The FBI received an online tip from Google about comments on YouTube allegedly made by Berka under the user name @killthefeds420 in which he said he wanted to kill Democrats, members of law enforcement, and LGBT people.
Berka allegedly singled out both President Biden, whom he said “deserves to die,” and Governor Whitmer, whom he said he was “more than willing” to kill. He allegedly claimed that LGBT people should “die or be genocided.”
In another comment directed to the FBI, Berka allegedly challenged them to come and take his firearms and provided his name and address.
FBI investigators visited Berka’s Huron County, Michigan home and spoke with his mother who told them that she bought three long guns and a pistol for her son over the last year. She said Berka keeps the weapons, along with ammunition and body armor, in his bedroom in the home.
According to the complaint, Berka has a history of mental health issues and was involuntarily committed in 2012 for mental health treatment, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. His mother had informed investigators that Berka’s treatments weren’t working and said her son should be arrested and jailed, according to the complaint.
In a statement on Friday, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn N. Ison applauded Google for its “vigilance” in reporting Berka’s online threats. She called on members of the community to report similar conduct to the police.
If convicted, Berka could face up to 15 years in prison.
