OKLAHOMA CITY – A Cleveland County man who posted messages on social media in which violent, racist and profane comments were directed against several federal officials, and families of most of them, has been indicted on 10 counts of communicating a threat.
Michael Brandon Houck, 50, “commonly known by the name ‘Brad’,” of Houck Plumbing and Gas, was indicted in the Western District federal court here on April 8.
He is accused of posting threatening comments on the Parler social network against U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts; Republican U.S. Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Houck was granted pre-trial release from custody on $10,000 bond. Conditions for his release included surrender of his passport, he is allowed to access/possess/use only devices that are “compatible with daily monitoring software,” he must “allow the installation of any hardware or software systems which monitor or filter computer use,” and he must “get medical or psychiatric treatment as directed by the U.S. Probation Office.”
A computer screenshot identified Houck as a native of Pauls Valley and said he lived in Moore, but a court record lists his address in Norman. The 2,553 square foot, the 13-year-old house at that address sits on a 5-acre lot and is listed for sale on Zillow at a price of more than half a million dollars.
A U.S. magistrate signed a search warrant that was executed at Houck’s residence at approximately 6 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2021. Law enforcement officers reported finding about 24 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition of various calibers, $4,800 cash and several personal electronic devices.
Later that day two individuals told investigators they were at Houck’s house playing dominoes the night of Jan. 9 when he “bragged about being banned from both Parler and Facebook for his posts.”
The court file lists numerous vile and disturbing comments that were made about federal officials and “Big Pharma” and that appeared on Houck’s Parler social media account during November and December 2020 and January 2021.
An affidavit filed by an FBI special agent assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Oklahoma City includes computer screenshots of several of those posts.
The Oklahoma City Police Department provided the FBI agent with screenshots of posts on Parler from Dec. 21- 22, 2020, plus Jan. 3-4, 2021, in which Houck claimed, “It’s time for us to organize groups of 10,000 to hit big pharma! ...execute executives on the spot! they have been committing attempted murder for years! we have the right to hunt them down and kill them like animals they are!!”
A Brad Houck post on Parler, dated Dec. 22, 2020, declared, “WE MUST STORM THAT CAPITAL AND REMOVE THESE PEOPLE BY FORCE!” A violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The following week Apple removed Parler from the iPhone App Store because of posts on the social network related to the U.S. Capitol riot that called for violence.
OFFICIALS THREATENED
Other posts attributed to Houck included:
• “GWB [former Texas governor and U.S. President George W. Bush] is a dead man ... we will find you Georgie boy.”
• “Supreme Court justices are appointed for life... You give us only one way to remove treasonous judges... death! It’s coming John Roberts! And at least 3 others.” Chief Justice Roberts was appointed to the nation’s highest bench by President George W. Bush.
• “Hey justice Roberts, we are coming for you and your illegal adopted kids!! finished! they will get to watch you hang.” The FBI agent wrote in his affidavit that “there is public information about Chief Justice Roberts and his wife having adopted two children.”
• “**** you Romney! You’re on the list. You’re not gonna make it ketchup man!” This is assumed to be a reference to U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
• “HEY MITCH, you don’t think you and your CCP WIFE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE BUSINESS AS USUAL DO YOU? OH NO YOU SLIMY ****, you are going to be eliminated soon you treasonous traitor!! we are going to find you! ... we are coming for you and 95 others. only 4-5 of you can stay!! ITS NOT GOING TO BE YOU.” This is believed to be a reference to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. His wife is Elaine Chao, who was born in Taipei, Taiwan.
• Another post addressed to McConnell read, “You’re not gonna be here much longer scumbag!! bloodbath coming!”
• A post that referred to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.Car., warned, “We are going to find you and kill your a**! Your are full of chinese money!”
• A post that referred to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed, “...Schumer we are going to come find you and have a little fun with you but make no mistake about it you’re the devil and we are going to kill you.”
• A post addressed to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read, “Question Nancy. Do you have grandchildren? Better make sure you know where they are. I hear half of San Fran is looking for them! We are coming for you b****!”
• Houck wrote on Jan. 7, 2021, that Oklahoma’s junior U.S. Senator, James Lankford, a Republican, “is a sorry mother****** and will pay for his treasonous lack of action. Better keep your family close James.”
• On Dec. 6, 2020, this post appeared on Houck’s Parler account: “They’ve only got two choices we can shoot them or the government can hang them. Oh wait there’s a third choice, you can send them to my house and I will waterboard them for the next five years, then kill them.”