California man stopped in Iowa with ‘kill list’ of prominent officials pleads guilty to threatening Biden, Harris

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (CN) — A Washington, D.C.-bound California man, stopped on a rural Iowa freeway two years ago with what authorities described as an AR-15-like rifle and a “kill list,” pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to making threats against the president and vice president of the United States.

Kuachua Brillion Xiong, 27, entered his plea in front of U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Helen C. Adams in at the federal courthouse in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The charge was the second of a five-count redacted indictment handed down by a grand jury in January 2022.

Adams scheduled Xiong's sentencing for June 18 in front of U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger. The maximum sentence is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Xiong was shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit as he stood up to enter his plea. When Adams asked how he pleaded, he conferred briefly with his attorney, Michael F. Maloney of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Sioux City, before clearly saying, “I plead guilty, Your Honor.”

Adams accepted the plea. Xiong will remain in custody until sentencing.

Monday’s proceedings, scheduled for 11:45 a.m., kicked off at 11:16 a.m. Many documents in the case over the past two years were filed under seal, including at least one psychiatric evaluation.

The grand jury said in the indictment that Xiong intended to kill or kidnap President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Maloney and prosecutor Jason T. Griess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Council Bluffs declined to comment after the hearing.

The case briefly made national news in December 2021 after a sergeant with the Cass County, Iowa, sheriff's office stopped Xiong along eastbound Interstate 80 after the sergeant noticed him "driving aggressively, weaving in and out of traffic, and speeding," according to the sergeant’s account in an affidavit attached to the criminal complaint.

Xiong told the sergeant he was traveling to Washington to take pictures and because he didn't know how much time he had on Earth. He had recently been fired from his job for a reason he considered invalid, and said getting a hotel would not be necessary, the sergeant's account in the affidavit says.

Xiong steered the conversation to his "disapproval for government due to the sex abuse of children" and that this behavior needed to be dealt with. Xiong said he possessed a rifle and ammo, the sergeant said.

When searching the vehicle, the sergeant found the rifle, loaded magazines, boxes of ammunition, medical kits and pieces of body armor, as well as several empty Red Bull cans.

An Adair, Iowa, police officer assisting the sergeant found money in the vehicle earmarked for Xiong's funeral expenses. The address of the White House was programed into the GPS.

During an interview with two Secret Service agents later that day, Xiong said he worked at a grocery store in Merced, California, as cover until God called upon him to "combat evil demons in the White House." Xiong told the agents he left his home near Sacramento about three days before.

Xiong used videos downloaded from TikTok to compile a list of those he intended to kill. He said he would also kill President Biden "unless he promised to comply to Xiong's demands," an Omaha-based Secret Service agent account said in the affidavit.

He then told the agents of his plan to gain access to the White House, including his identification of what he considered to be a "weak spot." He planned to use a grappling hook to climb the fence around the grounds, the agent said.

Police also ticketed Xiong for driving 16 to 20 mph over the speed limit, according to Iowa court records.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.

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