A Miami man accused of threatening to kill President Barack Obama appeared in federal court on Friday and entered a not guilty plea.
Joaquin Amador Serrapio Jr., 20, was arrested last month for making threats against Obama during the president's trip to Miami in February.
His attorney Alan Ross said his client had no intention of hurting the president and he wants to apologize to Obama, his community and his family.
"It was a foolish mistake. He sincerely believed that it was comedic," Ross said.
Serrapio, who is a student at Miami-Dade College West, did not say anything outside court Friday.
The criminal complaint said he used a fake Facebook account to post his threats and sent text messages to friends saying he was "challenging" the administration.
"Who wants to help me assassinate Obummer while hes at UM this week?" Serrapio wrote on the Facebook account under the alias "Jay Valor," according to the criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, two days later, the day Obama spoke at the University of Miami, Serrapio posted again on the "Jay Valor" page.
"If anyones going to UM to see obama today, get ur phones out an record. Cause at any moment im gonna put a bullet through his head and u don't wanna miss that! Youtube!" he wrote, according to the complaint.
That same day, after receiving information from the Coral Gables Police Department, federal agents raided Serrapio's home he shares with his mother in the 200 block of Southwest 136th Place in Miami, the complaint said.
While searching a bedroom, agents found an Apple iPad that showed the "Jay Valor" post, the complaint said. The agents also found a sniper rifle-style Airsoft pellet gun and a handgun-style Airsoft pellet gun, the complaint said.
After Serrapio was taken into custody, he admitted to agents that he maintained the "Jay Valor" Facebook account and had posted the statements, the complaint said.
When agents searched his cell phone, they found a series of text message between Serrapio and a friend, who warned Serrapio that he could get in trouble, the complaint said.
"I know i can b killed by this communist administration and im challenging them. Lets see what those mother--ckers got," Serrapio wrote, according to the complaint. "Hell yeah im a boss an the secret service will find that out soon."
When the friend asked if the Secret Service would see the Facebook posts, Serrapio replied, "I hope :) i wanna kill at least two of them when they get here," the complaint said.
Serrapio was previously charged and pleaded not guilty before a federal magistrate, who set his cash bond at $20,000, in addition to a $50,000 personal surety bond that his parents signed, according to court records. He has since been released on bond.
Serrapio's attorney said the court had ordered a psychological evaluation, which was completed with no negative findings.
On Friday, the judge ordered Serrapio not to use Facebook.
"Be careful about what you say," said his attorney, Ross. "When you think that something’s funny it may be funny to you, but as to the rest of the world, especially the Secret Service, (be careful) about making this kind of reference on a Facebook page."
