An Indiana man has been accused of making violent threats against billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, including threats to “gut” him and parade his “corpse through the streets.”
The suspect, 28-year-old David Allen June Cherry, faces a felony charge of intimidation. Authorities in Texas first alerted Indiana police to an X account tied to Cherry that had allegedly posted multiple threats against Musk. Law enforcement identified several concerning posts made over the past few months, with messages directly replying to Musk’s tweets.
On December 6, Cherry allegedly wrote, “We’re gunning you down, Muskrat.” Another post on January 22 stated, “I’ve got enough bullets for his b- a– and all the rest of you manchildren,” in response to a post from Andrew Tate. By February 3, the threats escalated, with one post declaring, “You’ve broken the law. You’re on the hit list,” and another shortly after stating, “You’re robbing the American people. We will gut you and parade your corpse through the streets.” The most recent post on February 26 reportedly read, “I am going to plant a bomb in Elon Musk’s house.”
After identifying the posts, authorities obtained a search warrant to track Cherry’s phone, locating him in Clarksville, Indiana. He was found at his workplace and voluntarily agreed to questioning at the state police Sellersburg Post. During the interview, he admitted to posting from the account in question but claimed he was attempting to be “edgy” and had no real intention of harming Musk.
Cherry has been charged with level five intimidation, which carries a potential penalty of up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He was taken to the Harrison County Jail, where he posted a $2,500 bond. Following his arrest, police secured a search warrant for his home in Palmyra, seizing an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, ammunition, and a ballistic vest.
Musk, known for his leadership roles in SpaceX, Tesla, and X, has drawn increased public attention due to his close ties with Donald Trump. His role in DOGE, a controversial initiative aimed at cutting government spending, has sparked legal challenges and criticism from political opponents who argue that he has been granted excessive power. A recent court decision rejected a request from 14 Democratic-led states seeking to block DOGE’s access to federal data and employee terminations.
Following the threats, the @effective_pawn account was suspended for violating platform rules.
