California grocery clerk charged in threats against Biden, Obama and others to face trial

Nearly two years after a Sacramento-area man was pulled over for speeding in Iowa and found to have an AR-15 rifle and GPS coordinate to the White House, a federal judge has ordered him to stand trial on charges of making threats against President Joe Biden and other U.S. political figures.

Kuachua Brillion Xiong, 27, who worked as a grocery store clerk in Merced and formerly lived in Sacramento, is scheduled to face trial in Des Moines starting Dec. 4, according to an order by U.S. Magistrate Judge William P. Kelly.

A federal grand jury indicted Xiong in January 2022 on charges of attempting to kill or kidnap Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris; making threats against both of them; threatening to kill or kidnap former President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; making threats against then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence.

Xiong’s trial had been delayed by his attorney’s initial attempt to mount an insanity defense, court records say, as well as mental competency exams.

The setting of a trial date signals that Xiong has been found competent to stand trial, and the judge set a Nov. 2 deadline for Xiong to plead guilty to any of the charges as part of a plea agreement.

“In order to afford all parties as much notice and opportunity to be as prepared for trial as possible, Defendant is put on notice that a plea of guilty must be entered by November 2, 2023,” the judge’s order states. “The court will not accept any plea agreement that dismisses counts or provides for a specific sentence ... after that date.

“Additionally, once that date has passed, the court will not grant the additional one-level decrease for acceptance of responsibility ... barring exceptional circumstances.”

Xiong was arrested Dec. 21, 2021, after being stopped for speeding on Interstate 80 as he was driving from California to Washington, D.C., court records say.

A deputy who pulled him over called Secret Service agents after speaking to Xiong and seeing that his GPS device was directing him to the White House, court papers say.

Inside Xiong’s vehicle, authorities found an AR-15 rifle, body armor, ammunition and magazines, and court papers say Xiong made comments about wanting to “combat evil demons in the White House.”

He also expressed his “disapproval for government due to the sex abuse of children,” and said he planned to scale the White House fence with a grappling hook to “kill President Joseph Biden unless he promised to comply to Xiong’s demands,” court papers say.