Caller threatens Obama, Clinton

Staff report

CLEVELAND

A Cleveland man called the U.S. Secret Service, made death threats against President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, identified himself by name and Social Security number, and said he wants to face federal charges, the U.S. attorney said.

Jonathan W. Smead, 35, was arrested on a charge of threatening the president and detained pending a Wednesday appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy A. Vecchiarelli.

On Sunday, the Chicago office of the U.S. Secret Service received a call, which it forwarded to the Secret Service’s Cleveland office, in which the caller said: “I want to kill President Obama.”

The caller spoke of past assassins, including John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, and then said he “wants to kill Hillary Clinton,” according to the criminal complaint.

The caller then identified himself as Jonathan Smead, provided his Social Security number and date of birth, and said he is living with his grandmother on Spring Road in Cleveland. Finally, Smead said he “wants federal charges, not little state charges.”

When interviewed Monday by the Secret Service, he admitted making the phone call and said he had been drinking alcohol before making the call. He said he does not wish harm on the president or Clinton.

He stated he had recently been watching the television show “The West Wing,” and he is very interested in past presidents, specifically Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.

He stated he visited the Texas Book Depository years ago as a tourist. During a consensual search, agents located two books in Smead’s bedroom related to the Kennedy assassination.