United States of America v. Cody Lee Smith

Clarksburg, West Virginia, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with making threats against the President.

Reported by Kent Morlan

Cody Lee Smith, 20, admitted to making threats to kill the President and to harm ICE agents. According to court statements, on January 17, 2026, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department reported that Smith had posted threats on social media, including threats to attack and kill ICE agents and President Trump. Homeland Security and ICE agents reviewed his Instagram posts and confirmed multiple threats against President Trump, his supporters, and federal law enforcement. That same day, Smith also sent a direct Instagram message to Donald J. Trump Jr. containing a sexually violent threat against President Trump. On January 18, 2026, Smith called the ICE tip line and threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg, as well as the operator and the operator’s family.

The Defendant elected to plead guilty and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the threats against ICE. He will be sentenced after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.