Oʻahu man charged with threatening Michigan governor

US Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ronald Saville, 48, of Honolulu, was charged by criminal complaint on June 1, 2026, with sending interstate communications containing threats.

Saville was located and arrested in Abilene, Texas on June 1, 2026. His initial appearance was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on June 1, 2026, and he was ordered detained pending transportation to the District of Hawai’i.

According to court records, on May 9, 2026, Saville emailed the Michigan State Police identifying himself, referencing the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, and threatening to use a firearm in an act of violence against “as many people as possible.” A short while later, Saville sent a second email to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with a similar message and a direct threat.

Saville called the FBI on May 12, 2026, and told an FBI agent that he wanted to take action against Gov. Whitmer because of her political affiliation, that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip to Michigan to carry out his threat, and that he still intended to carry out his threat.

Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaiʻi for making threats toward former US President George W. Bush in 2006 and toward former US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway in 2012.

If convicted, Saville faces up to 5 years in prison per count and a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.

The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a US District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory US Sentencing Guidelines.

FBI is investigating the case. Special Assistant US Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.