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.
The criminal complaint alleges that Hicks sent an email Sept. 23 to a Tucson television station 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, triggering an investigation into the alleged bombing threat.
Investigators later identified Hicks as the person authorities believe sent the email, officials said.
“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a statement.
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“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 investigators also found additional draft emails in an account associated with Hicks, according to officials.
The drafts were dated Sept. 23 and addressed to other news organizations. Officials said they contained similar threats against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C.
The FBI is heading the investigation with support from the U.S. Secret Service.
Rebecca Day, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Phoenix, praised the Tucson news station for promptly 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.
Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
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