Texas man charged with threatening to decapitate Trump staffer

An Austin man has been arrested on federal charges after allegedly making violent threats against a staff member working for President Trump, according to prosecutors.

Court documents allege that on Monday night, Thomas Austria Crouse called the personal phone of the staffer and, after the call went to voicemail, left a message threatening to find the official, decapitate them, and kill the victim’s family, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

The voicemail, which referenced the victim’s role as a presidential staffer, was reported to the FBI, investigators said. Authorities identified Crouse as the caller after determining the threat came from Austin, according to the complaint.

It remains unclear who the staffer is or why Crouse targeted them.

On Tuesday, FBI agents interviewed Crouse and urged him to stop making threats, to which he agreed. However, he allegedly went on to leave five additional voicemails telling the staffer to commit suicide.

Crouse was arrested on Wednesday and charged with transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case.