Federal officials said an Arizona man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly emailing a threat to bomb the White House and other sites in Washington, D.C.
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, faces a federal charge of making an interstate threat to injure, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
A criminal complaint alleges that 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 reported the message to law enforcement, launching an investigation into the alleged threat.
Federal authorities arrested an Arizona man accused of emailing a threat against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Investigators later identified Hicks as the person allegedly responsible for sending the email, authorities said.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a statement.
“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 found additional email drafts in an account connected to Hicks.
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The FBI and U.S. Secret Service investigated an alleged bombing threat targeting the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
The drafts were also dated Sept. 23 and had been addressed to other news organizations. Officials said they included similar threats against the White House and other locations in the nation’s capital.
The FBI is directing the investigation with support from the U.S. Secret Service.
Rebecca Day, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Phoenix, praised the television station for notifying authorities.
“We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people,” Day said.
The U.S. Secret Service participated in the investigation of an alleged bomb threat involving the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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