North Dakota man charged with threatening President and federal officials on social media

FARGO, ND – A West Fargo man has been charged in federal court after allegedly making multiple threats online against the President of the United States and other federal officials.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, 47-year-old Andrew Walter Sandvik appeared in federal court to face a charge of influencing a federal official by threat under 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B). The complaint alleges that Sandvik made several social media posts containing threats directed toward the President, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and others.

Investigators stated that Sandvik’s posts included violent rhetoric expressing a willingness to commit extreme acts. He was arrested Thursday morning in a coordinated operation involving federal, state, and local agencies.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase praised the partnership among law enforcement, noting that the collaboration ensured a safe arrest. FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. emphasized that threats against public officials “will result in a swift response by the FBI.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Fargo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee of the District of North Dakota.