KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — A Knoxville man has been taken into federal custody after allegedly utilizing social media to broadcast explicit death threats targeting both prominent local leaders and the highest levels of national government.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced that agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 44-year-old Garry Lee Williams on Thursday, July 16. He has been formally charged with the interstate transmission of threats to kill public officials.
According to a federal criminal affidavit, investigators discovered that Williams had published a sequence of repeated, violent posts and videos across online video platforms, including TikTok. The recorded threats explicitly named and detailed plans to kill:
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President Donald J. Trump
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FBI Director Kash Patel
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Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler
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Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel
Williams made his initial courtroom appearance on Friday, July 17, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin in Knoxville.
The court has scheduled a formal preliminary hearing for Williams on August 25, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. The Department of Justice stated that a federal trial will be established at a later date as prosecutors finalize their case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Lewen, Jr. is leading the prosecution on behalf of the government.
