SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Federal authorities arrested a 19-year-old Elk Grove man on July 1 for allegedly making threats to damage or destroy buildings with fire or explosives, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. Trevon McDaniel, who went by “The_wild_wolfspider” online, was taken into custody following an investigation into a plot targeting federal property and officials.
McDaniel came to law enforcement’s attention during an investigation into a plot to carry out attacks against federal property and officials, including an attack at a June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the South Lawn of the White House. Authorities say McDaniel communicated directly with one of the principal conspirators in the UFC plot, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez.
After Alvarez’s arrest in Nebraska, investigators reviewed data from his cellphone, which contained TikTok messages between Alvarez and the account “the_wild_wolfspider” from April 17 to June 7. The FBI later identified the account as McDaniel’s.
McDaniel posted a video on TikTok in which he was dressed in a superhero mask and costume. In the video, he made statements about using fireworks against generators supplying federal buildings in Sacramento.
A search of McDaniel’s residence led to the seizure of a costume matching those seen in his TikTok videos, his cellphone, 2 mini-batons, and a baton holster. McDaniel made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson and was ordered detained.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Asst. U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Kimberly Sokolich are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, McDaniel faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison. The charges are only allegations; McDaniel is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.