Apex man accused of threatening Trump faces federal court in Raleigh

What began as a threat call at a Lake Pine Drive car wash in Apex ended in federal court in Raleigh, where Daniel R. Swain faced a complaint accusing him of threatening to take the life of President Donald Trump. Swain, 41, of Summerville, South Carolina, was arrested by the United States Secret Service on a federal warrant in Apex and later appeared in court in Raleigh wearing a gray shirt and black pants, with his wrists and ankles shackled.

Apex police responded around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, after a threatening message was reported at Tidal Wave Auto Spa. Officers evacuated the business while investigators assessed the threat, turning an ordinary afternoon at a local car wash into a case with federal consequences. ABC11 reported that investigators also said Swain posted another threatening message about Trump on April 19, 2026, a detail that could become important as prosecutors try to show a pattern rather than a single outburst.

The federal complaint filed Thursday said there was probable cause to believe Swain committed the crime of communicating a threat against the President of the United States. That charge falls under 18 U.S.C. § 871, which allows a sentence of up to five years in prison. Once the case moved into the federal system, the stakes changed immediately: Secret Service agents made the arrest, a federal detainer was placed at the Wake County Detention Center, and the matter landed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which sits in Raleigh and handles federal criminal cases across the district.

Swain’s first appearance lasted less than 10 minutes, underscoring how quickly a threat case can move from a local police response to a federal prosecution. The court process now puts the focus on what Swain said, when he said it, and whether investigators can document intent under a statute built to protect the president and the office itself.

Swain’s mother told WRAL that he is an Army veteran with PTSD and is considered 100 percent disabled through the military. That background does not change the charge, but it adds context to a case that has already drawn attention in Wake County because it started at a local business and quickly became a federal matter with prison time on the line.