A grand jury has returned a new indictment of a Rhode Island man who remains free on bail though he is charged with threatening to assassinate President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Carl D. Montague, 37, of Providence, RI, remains free on an ankle monitor after he was charged this week with “threats against the President and interstate communications of threats,” according to the Rhode Island U.S. District attorney’s office.
Two federal judges appointed by Democrats have denied motions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to jail Montague, pending trial.
Montague unleashed a tirade at reporters outside the courthouse when he was released after his initial arrest last month.
An FBI probable cause affidavit previously alleged that on June 27, Montague issued a “profanity laced-posting on Truth Social threatening to shoot and kill” the president and the two other members of his administration.
Federal agents originally arrested Montague on July 9. Despite four previous assault convictions, a magistrate judge and later a U.S. district judge both refused to detain Montague, the latter ordering him to wear a GPS monitoring device instead.
The FBI’s affidavit stated that on June 27, Trump Media and Technology, the parent company of Truth Social, notified the U.S. Secret Service of the threat, at that time an “unknown subject” using the handle “@tacoustic,” which was traced to Montague. His rant read:
It’s a shame you won’t get to see the end of your f****** term, because I’m gonna make sure I put a bullet rate [sic] between your f****** head you piece of s***, you Pam Bondi. Stephen f****** miller, all you b******, are gonna get a f****** bullet to the head every single f****** one of you.
On June 30 agents traced Montague to the apartment of a known associate and found him hiding in a bathtub there, according to the FBI.
“Montague began confessing to making threats before agents were able to introduce themselves or explained why they were there,” the affidavit stated.
“Montague stated he was smoking a lot of marijuana when he posted the threat,” the affidavit continued. “Montague claimed he deleted his Truth Social account after sending the message. Montague was upset with current politics and expressed his frustrations via Truth Social.”
The suspect also told agents he did not own or have access to any weapons, had no intention of “shooting or inflicting any violence,” had no way to “travel to conduct violence,” and also “expressed remorse for his post.”
Despite a DOJ request he be jailed, Montague was originally released on $10,000 bond in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy Moses, an appointee of President Barack Obama, the Blaze reported.
The DOJ filed another motion less than a week later, detailing his four assault convictions between 2014 to 2022 and a half dozen probation violations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan wrote:
Further, the defendant committed the first three of these offenses while on probation and after having been court ordered to undergo mental health treatment and/or substance abuse counseling. Put simply, the defendant’s recent violent threats are the latest in a long history of violent and threatening behavior.
Donovan also stated that Montague “lacks the ability to control his aggression,” noting that immediately following his initial appearance, the defendant lashed out in a profanity-laden outburst at reporters who were waiting outside the courthouse.”
The DOJ motion ultimately argued that Montague’s release “endangers the safety of the persons to whom he directed his threats and the community.”
On July 25, U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose denied the motion to detain Montague and instead ordered a GPS ankle monitor and an 8 p.m.-7 a.m. curfew. Judge DuBose was appointed to the bench in January 2025 by President Biden, according to the Blaze.
An arraignment date for Montague on the grand jury indictment has not been set.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
