Federal Judge Orders Pretrial Detention of Man Accused of Threatening Richard Grenell
A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia ordered the pretrial detention of 33-year-old Scott Allen Bolger, who faces charges of threatening to kill Richard Grenell and making false statements to federal officers.
Grenell, identified by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the target, is the Kennedy Center president, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, and a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump.
According to the DOJ, Bolger allegedly used Google Voice to send interstate threats and misled a federal task force by claiming to be named "Brian Black."
Bolger was arraigned in federal court in Alexandria, where U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick issued the detention order. The DOJ noted that such decisions for pretrial detention can be rare.
If convicted, Bolger could face up to five years in prison.
The DOJ described the detention as a win for the department and for Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia, who attended the arraignment but did not play a formal role.
In court, a victim statement from Grenell was read, in which he described the threats as crossing a line and emphasized the seriousness of violence, referencing the death of Charlie Kirk.
Grenell was not present in court but was identified as a federal employee in a press release.
This case reflects broader concerns about threats and intimidation targeting high-profile public figures amid ongoing political tensions.
