A Federal Aviation Administration employee who allegedly sent the White House an email stating his intention to kill Donald Trump has been arrested.
Dean DelleChiaie, 35, was arrested on Monday on one count of making a threat via interstate communication, the Justice Department said in a press release.
The New Hampshire man, who works as a mechanical engineer, allegedly sent a threatening email directly to the White House on April 21, a few days before the assassination attempt of Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C.
“I, Dean DelleChiaie, am going neutralize/kill you - Donald John Trump - because you decided to kill kids - and say that it was War - when in reality - it is terrorism. God knows your actions and where you belong,” he wrote, authorities said.
DelleChiaie’s alleged email was preceded by concerning events months prior.
In late January, DelleChiaie allegedly used his work computer to look up “how to get a gun into a federal facility, previous assassination attempts against the President, the percentage of the population that wants the President dead, and the phrase ‘I am going to kill Donald John Trump,’” according to the DOJ’s press release.
A criminal complaint obtained by The Hill alleges that DelleChiaie also searched for the home addresses of Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the names and ages of their children.
According to the complaint, Dellechiaie later brought his work computer to the FAA’s IT department and asked them to delete his search history. After reviewing his searches, the IT department raised the issue with the FAA, which then contacted the Secret Service. The FAA then suspended DelleChiaie.
When Secret Service agents asked DelleChiaie about his activities in February, he allegedly admitted to them but “stated he had no interest in assassinations,” the complaint goes on. He also admitted to owning three guns. DelleChiaie told the agents he was upset about the 2024 presidential election, the use of presidential pardons, and the Jeffrey Epstein files. He also said he had depression and was using ketamine for therapy.
“DELLECHIAIE stated he had no interest in assassinations but he did conduct a search about assassinations because it was part of the cycle that was going on in his mind,” the complaint stated. “DELLECHIAIE could not provide a reason other than that as to why he searched about assassinations or attempted assassinations.”
If convicted, DelleChiaie faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
DelleChiaie appeared in court on Tuesday, during which the judge ruled he would be held until trial, according to WMUR News 9. He is on paid leave.
Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Boston Field Office, said threatening to harm the President of the United States is unacceptable.
“If someone makes a threat against a protectee, the U.S. Secret Service will investigate and that individual will be arrested. We are thankful for our law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire for their assistance with this case,” he said.
The Daily Beast has contacted the New Hampshire U.S. Attorney’s Office and the White House for comment. The FAA declined to comment.
