An Arizona man is facing federal charges after authorities say he threatened to bomb the White House and multiple other sites in the nations capital.
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested Wednesday and charged with making an interstate threat to injure, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona. The case underscores the ongoing need for vigilance against domestic threats to federal institutions, as reported by Fox News.
Prosecutors say Hicks emailed a Tucson television station on Sept. 23, warning of an "imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C." The station immediately notified law enforcement, triggering a federal investigation into the alleged threat.
Investigators later identified Hicks as the suspected sender of the email, according to the criminal complaint. "We must take threats of violence like this one seriously," U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a statement, reflecting a zero-tolerance approach to threats against national symbols and government facilities.
"I am grateful to our local news station for referring this threat to law enforcement and to the FBI for addressing the situation quickly, professionally and with the level of commitment it required." Federal officials said investigators also found additional email drafts in the same account, dated Sept. 23 and addressed to other news outlets, containing similar threats involving the White House and other Washington, D.C., locations.
The FBI is leading the probe with support from the U.S. Secret Service, agencies that have long been on the front lines of protecting the presidency and federal infrastructure. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day praised the media outlet that first raised the alarm, stating, "We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people," and officials confirmed that Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday.
Login