**Yucca Valley Man Faces Federal Charges for Threatening Donald Trump**

A 73-year-old Yucca Valley resident, Thomas Eugene Streavel, has entered a plea of not guilty to three felony counts of making threats against then-President-elect Donald Trump. Prosecutors allege that following the election, Streavel publicly declared himself an "assassin" and vowed to kill Trump. These allegations are based on multiple Facebook posts made by Streavel.

Streavel was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Monday morning and arraigned the following day in Riverside's Central District Court. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 28. If convicted on all charges, he faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the threats, underscoring the Department of Justice's commitment to prosecuting such crimes to the fullest extent.

The threats in question were detailed in a grand jury indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Streavel's Facebook posts, dated from November 6, included explicit declarations of his intent to assassinate Trump. According to court documents, these posts continued sporadically, with similar threats issued on November 19 and 28. One post from November 6 read, "[T]rump is a dead man walking for the time being until a patriot like myself blows his [expletive] brains out in the very near future."

The Secret Service is investigating Streavel’s actions, especially given the gravity of the rhetoric, which they note echoes previous attempts on Trump's life. Trump survived an apparent assassination attempt on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in the death of one attendee and critical injuries to two others. Another incident occurred on September 15 at a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where a Secret Service agent detected the muzzle of an AK-47-style weapon. The shooter was neutralized in both events.

United States Attorney Bill Essayli stressed that political violence and threats have no place in the United States. Streavel's posts reportedly date back to before the election, with one on October 15 stating his desire to "blow [Trump's] brains out."

The ongoing investigation by the Secret Service and federal officials underscores the heightened focus on political threats and violence. If found guilty, Streavel's case could serve as a significant precedent in handling similar threats against political figures in the future.