COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia has returned a two-count indictment charging Eric Anthony Rome Jr., 37, an inmate in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, with sending a threatening letter to a Jewish/Christian organization and threatening to kill former President Donald Trump.
According to the indictment, in January Rome drafted and mailed a letter to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews in Chicago, Illinois. The letter allegedly contained threats and derogatory references to the Jewish community and concluded with a statement threatening the president.
Rome signed the letter with his full name, according to prosecutors.
If convicted, Rome faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. He is currently serving a state sentence for armed robbery. Court records indicate he has twice previously been convicted in federal court for threatening the president of the United States. Upon completion of his current state sentence in 2030, he is scheduled to begin serving a five-year federal sentence related to a prior conviction involving similar threats.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of State and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston D. Holliday Jr. is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
