New Haven man indicted for threatening to kill Trump

U.S. District Courthouse in New Haven. U.S. District Courthouse in New Haven. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close New Haven man indicted for threatening to kill Trump 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham indicted former New Haven resident Gary Joseph Gravelle, also known as Roland Prejean, for numerous malicious incidents of intimidation that mentioned use of explosives and bio-toxins, and for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

According to the indictment, 51-year-old Gravelle has identified as a member of the white separate organization American Knights of Anarchy, or AKA.

The indictment charges Gravelle with 16 counts, variously, of maliciously conveying false information about explosives, false information and hoax as well as threats to the president. The threats impacted communities across Connecticut, including New Haven, Groton, Hartford and Old Saybrook, and the cities of Seattle, Wash., and Burlington, Vt.

Per the indictment, the crimes took place in September 2018, when Gravelle sent out a series of emails and made phone calls threatening to detonate bombs at several New Haven locations, including the Fellowship Place (called “Fellowship House” in the document), the Continuum of Care and the Connecticut Mental Health Center. He made similar threats toward the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building in Hartford, Old Saybrook Center, the First Bristol Federal Credit Union in Bristol, the Federal Detention Center, SeaTac, in Seattle and Burlington International Airport, the court document alleges.

Many individuals were victim to Gravelle’s bluffs, among them probation officers, a district judge and numerous employees at the aforementioned locations, according to the indictment.

During the same time period Gravelle also sent out letters containing a white powder he claimed was anthrax, incidents which the Register previously reported. One of them targeted the Middletown synagogue Congregation Adath Israel.

No injuries were reported in relation to the parcels, and at least two appeared to contain baby powder, the Associated Press reported on September 5.

The indictment details several of these cases: the Islamic Center of New London, located in Groton, received such a letter, which also held a piece of paper with the words “You Die ” and “Anthrax is an acute infections disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis , a category A agent.”

Per the court document, Gravelle made a threat to President Trump that resembled the other anthrax scares: in his letter, he included a white powder and the words, “I, Gary Gravelle, ... as a faithful soldier of the AKA, am coming to KILL Donald Trump ....”

Authorities initially arrested Gravelle on charges of violating a federal supervised release, according to a release from last September stated. In July 2013, Gravelle was sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release for mailing numerous threatening letters, the release said.

The latest charges could come with a century-long prison sentence, based on the maximum sentences cited in the new release.

According to the release, U.S. Attorney Durham “stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The release thanked numerous agencies for their help with the investigation.

“The U.S. Attorney extends his appreciation to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and many local police and fire departments for their assistance in this matter that directly affected various communities, including departments from Bristol, Guilford, Groton, Hartford, Middletown, New Haven, Old Saybrook and Southington, Yale University, and Burlington, Vermont.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed is prosecuting the case, per the release.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com