Oahu Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill Michigan Governor and Attack State Capitol

HONOLULU, HAWAII — August 20, 2026 — A 49-year-old Honolulu man has pleaded guilty in federal court to sending interstate communications containing threats after admitting that he threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the Michigan State Capitol and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Ronald Saville pleaded guilty on August 18, 2026, to one count of sending interstate communications containing threats, according to U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii.

According to the plea agreement, Saville sent an email to the Michigan State Police on May 9, 2026, identified himself, referenced the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, and threatened to enter the building armed with an AR-15 and open fire.

Saville wrote that he intended to “kill as many people as possible” and emphasized that he wanted authorities to understand that his threat was serious.

A short time later, Saville sent a second threatening email directly to Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In that communication, he stated that Lansing would “never gonna be the same again,” threatened to enter the state Capitol and shoot people inside, and then threatened to target Whitmer personally.

The threatening messages triggered a federal investigation that continued beyond the original emails.

On May 12, Saville called the FBI and spoke with an agent. During that conversation, Saville said he wanted to kill Governor Whitmer because of her political affiliation. He also told the agent that he had been conducting online research to plan a trip from Hawaii to Michigan for the purpose of carrying out the threat.

Saville further stated during the FBI call that he still intended to carry out what he had threatened.

Investigators located Saville in Kailua, Hawaii, on May 26. Saville admitted that he had sent the threatening emails and said he wanted to be taken seriously and noticed. He also acknowledged that his purpose was to frighten and threaten Governor Whitmer.

The case represents Saville’s third federal prosecution involving threats against prominent government officials or members of the federal judiciary.

Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii.

In 2008, he was sentenced in connection with threats directed at then-President George W. Bush. In 2013, Saville was sentenced again after making threats against former U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.

Those earlier cases establish that Saville’s current guilty plea is not his first federal conviction involving threatening communications against government officials.

Saville now faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The court may also impose a term of supervised release following imprisonment.

The statutory maximum does not determine the sentence Saville will ultimately receive. His sentence will be imposed by the federal court after consideration of the applicable law and circumstances of the case.

The FBI investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case for the District of Hawaii.

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