Arizona Man Faces Federal Charge Over Alleged White House Bomb Threat

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, a Tucson man is facing a federal criminal charge of "Making an Interstate Threat to Injure"  by “threatening to commit mass bombings at the White House and around the Washington, D.C. area.”

The man made the threat in an email, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.  The man, 46-year-old Jacob Aaron Hicks, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

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Federal prosecutors allege that on September 23rd, Hicks emailed a Scripps News Tucson television news station and claimed that there would be an “imminent bomb strike against the White House” and other sites in the nation’s capital. The station reported the threat to law enforcement, which launched an investigation.

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Investigation Led to Arrest

Investigators later identified Hicks as the alleged sender. According to court documents, authorities also found other email drafts that were tied to the same account. Reports say those emails were addressed to other news organizations and contained similar threats against the White House and surrounding Washington, D.C., locations.

The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Hicks first appeared in federal court on October 8th.

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Officials Stress Threats Are Taken Seriously

U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced the charge, thanked the local news station for quickly reporting the email, and praised investigators for their response. Rebecca Day, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office, said cooperation between community partners and law enforcement is critical to public safety.

Federal officials remind readers that this criminal complaint is an allegation, and Hicks is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.