Illinois man ordered detained in threats against federal judge in St. Lucie County
MIAMI - An Illinois man was ordered detained on federal charges he threatened a federal judge in St. Lucie County, which is part of the Southern District of Florida.
The hearing was conducted Wednesday in Miami before Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres.
Eric James Rennert, 55, of Champaign, was ordered held in federal custody after being transported from Illinois.
He was indicted on Sept. 25 by a federal grand jury.
According to allegations in the six-count indictment, Rennert transmitted threats on May 25, May 28 and July 24 of injuring and kidnapping a U.S. judge and the family of the federal judge, with the "intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with the judge while engaged in the performance of official duties."
If convicted of interstate transmission of threats, Rennert faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the three counts.
If convicted of threatening to assault, kidnap and murder a U.S. judge, Rennert faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the three counts.
The indictment doesn't list the name of the threatened judge.
The Alto Lee Adams Sr. Courthouse in Fort Pierces includes one district judge, Aileen Cannon, and one magistrate, Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, whose primary role is to issue warrants and oversee initial appearances and arraignments.
Cannon, who presided over the criminal case accusing former President Donald Trump of illegally retaining classified documents, is based in that county along with another federal magistrate judge.
She also is presiding over the criminal case of Ryan Wesley Routh, who was charged with trying to assassinate Trump at his golf course near West Palm Beach on July. 13. This week she declined to recuse herself saying a defense request that she do so was without merit.
The threats were during developments involving Cannon.
Investigators say Rennert made a first threat on May 25, two days after an exchange between Cannon and a prosecutor in court on the documents case. The second came three days later, the same day Cannon rejected a request from prosecutors to prohibit Trump from commenting on FBI agents who seized the records at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach residence.
The final threat on July 24 came nine days after Cannon dismissing the charges against Trump. Special prosecutor Jack Smith is appealing that case.
Cannon was appointed to the bench at the end of Trump's term in 2020.
FBI Miami investigated the case and assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Smukler is prosecuting this matter, according to a Department of Justice release Friday.
