Former midshipman arrested for alleged threat against US Naval Academy

A former midshipman whom authorities suspected of making a threat on social media against the U.S. Naval Academy has been formally charged in the incident. 

Jackson Fleming, 23, of Chesterton, Indiana, was charged Sunday with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication.

The charge was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana, Fox News reported. However, the exact threat appears to remain unclear.

Fleming was arrested Friday on suspicion of sending an online threat about the Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Md., the day before a social media app, officials said.

The charge Fleming faces includes a maximum five-year prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The alleged threat appears to coincide with a security incident that happened at the academy the same day, Thursday. The academy was placed on lockdown, and one person was injured while Naval Security Forces were clearing a building after a midshipman mistook authorized law enforcement as a threat.

The online threat against the academy was allegedly posted on the anonymous chat platform Yodel and traced to a separated midshipman at his parents’ home. Jackson purportedly used an internet provider address to make the post appear as if was made from the academy.

A Naval Academy spokesperson declined to comment to Fox News on a connection between Fleming's arrest and the security incident, but confirmed Fleming was a midshipman at the Naval Academy from June 30, 2021, to Jan. 5, 2024.