Calgary man charged with threatening to "slaughter" Mark Carney to plead guilty
The lawyer for a Calgary man accused of posting an online threat to kill Prime Minister Mark Carney says his client will be entering a guilty plea.
Jamie Dacosta was arrested in September by the RCMP and charged with threatening to kill the prime minister.
The 31-year-old was charged after the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team received information that threats to kill the prime minister were posted on a YouTube account.
In a July post, an individual sent a video message to his followers saying they were headed to Ottawa and offered to cover off gas money for anyone who wanted to “slaughter Mark Carney.”
His lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, said he has worked out an agreement with the Crown for a guilty plea on the Carney matter and a separate charge of extortion related to a different case.
"We have more or less finalized the resolution for Mr. Dacosta on what he is going to plead guilty to," Iovenelli told reporters outside court Thursday.
"We will return next week to schedule a sentencing date, but then we would like some court reports that will assist the judge in determining what an appropriate sentence will be."
Iovenelli said there are mental health concerns about his client that speak to his "moral culpability.” But he said there is a long waiting period to receive a psychiatric assessment. He said the earliest Dacosta could be sentenced is some time in the new year.
The matter will be back in court Monday to set a date for the pleas and sentencing.
The posts in question have since been taken down by YouTube.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2026.
By Bill Graveland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.