Michigan man indicted after making YouTube threats against Biden, Whitmer, LGBTQ+ people

BAY CITY, MI — A month after the FBI arrested a Sebewaing man who allegedly posted threats against LGBTQ+ people, the president and Michigan’s governor, a federal grand jury has indicted him on two gun charges.

The grand jury on April 19 indicted Randall R. Berka II, 30, on single counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of an unregistered firearm. The felonies are punishable by up to 15 and 10 years in prison, respectively, followed by at least three years of supervised release.

Berka appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris for arraignment on the charges on April 24. Morris entered not-guilty pleas on Berka’s behalf.

FBI agents arrested Berka at his home on Rose Island Road in Sebewaing on March 9, two days after they began investigating a person making threats on YouTube. The threats came to the FBI’s attention after Google submitted a tip to its National Threat Operations Section, according to an affidavit penned by a special agent who investigates domestic terrorism.

When the FBI began investigating, the YouTube account had a display name of “kill all federal agents on sight and hang biden” with a URL of “@killthefeds420.” Agents determined that between Feb. 18 and March 7, the account published at least 14 posts stating a desire to kill President Joe Biden, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat politicians in general, and LGBTQ+ people.

“[I]m going to kill these democrats biden deserves to die,” stated one post.

“I don’t work I refuse to i buy guns though and plot to kill people in dc openly f*** the feds ill shoot the fbi if they ever show up,” stated a third.

Several posts featured ire directed toward gay and trans people, their author saying they should be “genocided” and that he’s going to kill “lgbt freaks and same America.”

In another post, Berka addressed the FBI directly and gave them details on who and where he was.

“[H]ey fbi! My name is randall the 2nd and I live in sebewaing Michigan and I am willing to kill these people,” he allegedly wrote. “Im not mentally illy for needing to be violent towards these people, call the ccops, f*** them. Ill shoot the too. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take my guns. ANYONE. I AM DONE. TRY TO CONFISCATE THEM FROM ME AND I WILL KILL.”

Despite the online posturing, Berka did not shoot the FBI when they came to his house.

Investigators determined the account was registered to Berka’s mother. They also determined Berka had been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment in 2012, with the state finding him legally incapacitated and appointing his father as his legal guardian. As such, Berka was prohibited from own guns or ammunition.

Agents on March 9 interviewed Berka’s mother at her work. She told them she is scared of her son, does not think his mental health treatment is working, and should be arrested.

In the same interview, she told agents she bought Berka three long guns and one handgun in the last year. She added Berka has fired the guns and also has body armor.

Berka’s next court date is pending.

Whitmer has been the subject of previous threats. More than a dozen people were initially charged in a 2020 plot to kidnap her.

The alleged plot leader, Barry Croft Jr., 47, of Bear, Delaware, was sentenced in December to nearly 20 years in prison. A day earlier, a judge sentenced another leader, Adam Fox, 39, of Wyoming, Michigan, to 16 years in federal prison. A county judge sentenced others to prison in Jackson County and several face charges in Antrim County.

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