A Northwest Side man made a death threat against President Donald Trump and his son, Barron, then used the official White House website to threaten a Secret Service agent who had knocked on his door to investigate the matter, federal prosecutors said.
Michael Kovco, 29, sent the message on March 19, roughly two hours after a Secret Service agent and two federal task force officers visited his apartment in the 5300 block of North Cumberland Avenue, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.
The threat that originally drew investigators to Kovco’s door was sent via the White House website March 17 and allegedly included Kovco’s phone number and email address and was signed “Mr. I’m going to f***ing kill your child Kovco.”
Two days later, agents stopped by his home to follow up and, getting no answer, left an agent’s contact card on the door knocker before leaving.
Shortly thereafter, Kovco allegedly logged on to the White House website and wrote: “I’m gonna hunt the secret service agent that comes to my door’s family so he better not tell me any identifying information at all like first or last name or pet name or address or place of work because im going to buy a small concealable firearm and go shoot up his place of work immediately if he tells me anything.”
The complaint describes a series of rapid-fire threats Kovco allegedly sent that day before agents returned to his apartment around noon. Those messages, all transmitted between 10:26 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., included threats to detonate improvised explosive devices in Washington, D.C., threats against Barron Trump, and a threat to attack any agent who responded to his messages, the complaint said.
In one message, Kovco allegedly described plans to purchase a high-caliber rifle and stockpile explosives. In another, he threatened “to take a serrated knife and saw Barron Trump’s head off after I successfully stake out the president of the united states with a high caliber sniper rifle permanently aimed at the White House Lawn from a local vantage point.”
When agents returned to the apartment and Kovco came into the hallway to speak with them, body-worn camera footage captured him becoming visibly agitated, the complaint states. He initially denied posting anything, telling the agent to “go get a warrant for my arrest,” before abruptly changing his account. “Ok, I posted four more,” Kovco allegedly told the agent. “I’m gonna get money from your a**. Go check it out.” He then went back inside and closed the door.
According to a family member who lives with Kovco and spoke with investigators, Kovco was not taking his prescribed medication, was unemployed, and rarely left the apartment.
The complaint also describes an August 2025 incident in which Kovco allegedly sent a message through the CIA’s public website claiming to be plotting to kill the president with a high-caliber anti-materiel rifle and asking that a clear line of fire be established between the White House and Marine One, the President’s helicopter. Secret Service agents interviewed Kovco after that message, at which time he denied sending it and claimed to have sold his phone. Investigators said the store he named told them it had not purchased a phone from an individual in about three years.
Kovco is charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Prosecutors will ask a judge to detain Kovco during a hearing on Friday.
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