A Pennsylvania man who described himself online as a Nazi and white supremacist has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly posting repeated death threats targeting a member of Congress and calling for mass shootings against Muslims, Democrats and minority groups.
According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, unsealed on Thursday, Robert Hlovchiec, of Allegheny County, was indicted on 12 counts, including transmitting threats in interstate commerce, and threatening to assault and murder a U.S. official.
The lawmaker is identified in court filings only as “Victim 1,” whose identity is “known to the grand jury.”
Prosecutors allege that between Feb. 8 and March 6, Hlovchiec used a YouTube account to post violent threats against Victim 1, a Congress member, and against Democrats, transgender people, Hispanics, African-Americans and Muslims.
The indictment states that he “occasionally referred to himself as a Nazi or a white supremacist” and described “mass shootings, assassinations and running people over with his truck.”
Among the posts cited in the indictment were, “I am a Nazi” and “I’m a real American, I will do a mass shooting against 100s of Muslims in America if I ever get the opportunity.”
The indictment alleges that Hlovchiec repeatedly threatened the unnamed lawmaker, writing, “I would put a bullet in [Victim 1]'s head.”
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000 for each of the interstate threats, up to six years for an assault threat, and up to 10 years and a fine of no more than $250,000 for the murder threats.
Magistrate Judge Christopher B. Brown granted an arrest warrant. Hlovchiec was taken into custody and appeared before the judge on Thursday.
He is being held without bail. His next court hearing is set for July 17.
