HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A Lauderdale County woman has been indicted on federal charges of making violent threats against the President of the United States through social media, U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. announced. A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Megan Lorraine Utz, 36, of Courtland, Alabama, with threats against the President of the United States and interstate transmission of a threatening communication, the Justice Department said.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, it is alleged that on October 5, 2026, Utz made a threatening post on Facebook regarding President Trump's planned attendance at the football game between Alabama and Georgia in Tuscaloosa on October 10. News 19 (WHNT), which reviewed the court documents, reported the post shared a news story about the planned visit with a caption reading: "He's not allowed in my stadium! I'll put a bullet through him if he dares." The President later cancelled that Tuscaloosa trip, WHNT reported.
Source: WHNT News 19
On October 6, FBI agents, Secret Service agents and the Florence Police Department located Utz in Florence, Alabama, the Justice Department said. Florence police arrested her on an active misdemeanor warrant for harassing communications issued by the Guin Police Department. Court documents cited by WHNT said her phone was seized, and that when asked about the post she said she believed malware on her phone had led to it — a claim investigators are still examining.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
"Threats of violence are taken seriously, and we are committed to protecting the safety of our nation's leaders," U.S. Attorney Williams said. "In an era in which our current President has faced multiple attempts on his life we will act swiftly to address threats such as those listed in this complaint." Federal authorities announced the indictment on Thursday, October 22, and ABC News reported the charges on its national broadcast on Friday. An indictment is an allegation, and Utz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.