A Woodburn, Oregon, resident appeared in federal court on March 19 after being charged with threatening to kill a United States Senator.
Donald Leroy Smith, Jr., age 51, faces charges of threatening a federal official with the intent to intimidate that official for the performance of official duties. According to court documents, Smith left a voicemail for a U.S. Senator on November 12, 2025, stating he was “coming to kill you,” that “you need to be dead,” and that he was going to “put a bullet in your head.”
Smith made his first appearance before a U.S. Magistrate judge and was ordered released pending further court proceedings. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation with support from United States Capitol Police, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Oregon State Police, and the Woodburn Police Department. First Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Narus and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Kilcup are prosecuting the case.
Scott Bradford has served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and previously held roles such as Chief of the White Collar Unit and Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, according to the official website. The office engages in community outreach efforts across Oregon to fight crime and protect rights according to its website.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office maintains locations in Portland, Eugene, and Medford according to its official site, operates under the Department of Justice as one of 93 offices nationwide according to its website, employs 107 staff members according to its website, and seeks justice by representing the United States in civil and criminal matters while fostering trust in the federal judicial system according to its official site.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
