A federal judge sentenced Trent Schneider, a 58-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor, to more than three years in prison on Wednesday for making threats against former President Donald Trump and others in an online video. Schneider was convicted last spring after a jury found him guilty of issuing threats through a video posted last fall, in which he expressed anger over personal grievances and directed violent language toward Trump and various public officials.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed a 39-month prison term, citing the need to balance First Amendment protections with concerns over public safety. Schneider’s statements included declarations of intent to use firearms and expressed that those he believed had wronged him—judges, doctors, lawyers, and police—"all should be killed." The video concluded with Schneider saying, “especially you, Trump. You should be executed.”

The prosecution initially sought a five-year sentence but lowered the request to four years during the two-day hearing. However, Judge Coleman criticized the original recommendation, noting the irony that many individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol events who made threats or engaged in violence were later pardoned by Trump. “It is rich,” she said, that Schneider faced harsher consequences despite those pardons, adding that the situation was “extremely upsetting.”

During sentencing, Schneider accused the government of misconduct and called his detention for eight months “mind blowing.” At one point, he appeared dismissive, simulating a yawn as the judge announced the sentence. The court also reviewed grand jury transcripts amid a wider courthouse scandal involving alleged prosecutorial misconduct but found no wrongdoing in Schneider’s case.

The threats followed foreclosure proceedings against Schneider concerning his home in Lake County, which was scheduled for auction in November 2025. In his video, he blamed various institutions and individuals for his personal difficulties and expressed a willingness to take violent action.

Judge Coleman noted that threats against judicial figures and officials are a serious matter, referencing previous incidents in which judges faced harassment or violence, including the 2005 killing of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow’s family member by a litigant. She highlighted the danger Schneider’s behavior posed, mentioning that court staff avoid sharing full names with him due to safety concerns.

Given these factors, Judge Coleman ruled against early release, emphasizing the challenge of protecting both free speech and security in an environment marked by frequent threats and violence directed at public servants and officials.