Federal officials reported the arrest of an Arizona man on Wednesday following accusations of emailing threats to bomb the White House and additional locations in Washington, D.C. Jacob Aaron Hicks, aged 46, from Tucson, is charged with making an interstate threat to injure, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
A criminal complaint details that Hicks allegedly emailed a Tucson television station on September 23, warning of an ‘imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C.’ This prompted the station to inform law enforcement, leading to an investigation.
Authorities subsequently identified Hicks as the suspect behind the email. ‘We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,’ stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine, expressing gratitude to the television station for reporting the threat and to the FBI for their swift response.
Federal investigators discovered additional email drafts from Hicks’s account. These drafts, also dated September 23, were aimed at other news outlets and included similar threats involving the White House.
The FBI, with help from the U.S. Secret Service, is spearheading the investigation. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day acknowledged the television station’s role in alerting authorities, highlighting the importance of community cooperation in safeguarding the public.
An initial court appearance by Hicks occurred on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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