Hawaii man pleads guilty to threatening Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, prosecutors say

A Hawaii man pleaded guilty to a federal charge relating to threats against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii said. 

Ronald Saville, 49, of Honolulu, entered his plea on Tuesday in federal court to one count of interstate communications containing threats, the district attorney's office said. 

As part of the plea agreement, Saville admitted to emailing the Michigan State Police on May 9, making a reference to the state capitol building in Lansing, and saying he would walk into the building with intent to use a weapon to kill people. A second email was directed to Whitmer, saying "just to let you know on Tuesday second, Lancy, Michigan is never gonna be the same again going to walk into the state capital shoot it up and kill as many people as possible than that I'm coming for you[.]" 

Saville had also called the FBI on May 12, saying that he intended to kill Whitmer and had been researching making a trip to Michigan. 

The FBI investigated and Saville was arrested on May 26. 

He faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 in the charge. 

Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited in her current role and cannot run again for governor. She has not publicly stated her plans after leaving the office. There were threats made against Whitmer by other people during her eight years in office, and she has spoken out against political violence. 

Saville was previously convicted twice in federal court in the District of Hawaii for making threats toward former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006 and toward former U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway of Hawaii in 2012, the district attorney's office said.