Mental competency hearing sought in NC presidential threat case

Lawyers for a Raleigh man facing federal criminal charges of threatening President Donald Trump on social media are seeking a mental competency hearing.

A motion filed Friday seeks a hearing to determine whether Christopher K. Carnes is mentally competent to stand trial. The motion also seeks to delay a detention hearing scheduled Tuesday, along with an Aug. 12 deadline for pretrial motions and a Sept. 15 arraignment.

“Counsel has reasonable cause to believe that Mr. Carnes may be presently suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent,” wrote lawyers from the Office of the Federal Public Defender. “For these reasons, it is requested that the Court order that a psychiatric and/or psychological evaluation of Mr. Carnes be conducted, and that a report be filed with the Court pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4247. Counsel requests that the evaluation determine whether Mr. Carnes understands the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him and whether he can properly assist in his defense.”

Assistant US Attorney Logan Liles “does not oppose the requested stay,” according to the court filing.

Carnes was indicted earlier this month.

A US magistrate judge signed a criminal complaint in June accusing Carnes of threatening to harm Trump, according to a news release from US Attorney Ellis Boyle’s office.

Carnes was charged with “knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States,” according to the release. He is accused of violating federal law 18 U.S.C. § 871(a). He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. 

Carnes posted several videos on Facebook in May with statements including “Donald J. Trump, I’m going to kill you,” according to the news release. He advised viewers to alert the “Secret Service in Washington, DC.” 

Investigators “established that Carnes was located in Raleigh when he posted the threatening Facebook videos,” according to the release.  A June 6 video “referenced his prior threatening videos while talking about having pipe bombs.” 

“After displaying a self-described ‘PVC blaster’ in the trunk of his car, Carnes stated, ‘This here … I’ve told you Donald Trump, I’m not a person for bluff calling … now that the Government knows I have a live bomb in my car … Well you f*** around and you come find out,’” Boyle’s office reported.

Authorities met with Carnes at the Raleigh Police Department office on June 10. “Carnes arrived in the same car from his Facebook videos,” according to the news release. “After a canine alerted to the potential presence of explosive materials in the car, RPD officers searched his car and found PVC pipe and a metal pin.”

US Magistrate Judge Brian Meyers signed a criminal complaint against Carnes.

The complaint explained that the Pentagon Force Protection Agency first alerted the US Secret Service to a Carnes Facebook post on May 13. That post included the statement “DJT I am going to kill you.”

“I’m not mental health,” Carnes said later in the post. “I’m not crazy. I know exactly what I’m saying. Charge me with a terroristic threat. I’m good. I will take that terroristic act because I have a lot of questions for a lot of s— for a lot of f—— people for you ready.”

Boyle’s office is prosecuting a high-profile case against former FBI Director James Comey on a charge of violating the same federal law cited in Carnes’ case. Comey’s charge is related to a 2025 Instagram post involving seashells arranged to spell “86 47.”

Comey’s arraignment is scheduled Sept. 30 in New Bern. A trial is scheduled for Oct. 21.

“Mental competency hearing sought in NC presidential threat case” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.