A Hawaii man pleaded guilty to one charge for allegedly making threats to kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer and threatening to kill people at the Michigan State Capitol.
Ronald Saville, 49, of Honolulu, Hawaii, pleaded guilty on Aug. 18 to one count of sending interstate communications containing threats.
Federal officials said Saville emailed the Michigan State Police on May 9, identifying himself, referencing Michigan’s Capitol Building in Lansing, and said he was “going to walk in with a gun at A.R. 15 and open fire and kill as many people as possible. I mean what I say I’m not a joke.”
Later, he allegedly sent a second email to Whitmer, saying, “Just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan [sic] is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I’m coming for you[.]”
Saville also allegedly called the FBI on May 12, telling an FBI agent that he wanted to kill Whitmer because of her political affiliation, and he was looking to travel to Michigan to carry out his threat.
On May 26, investigators found Saville in Kailua, where he allegedly admitted to sending the emails, saying he wanted to be taken seriously and be noticed. Federal officials said he intended to scare and threaten Whitmer.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hawaii, he was previously convicted twice in federal court in Hawaii and was sentenced in 2008 for making threats toward former President George W. Bush and in 2013 for making threats toward former United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.
Saville faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 19, 2027.