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By Taryn Pedler
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Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested after allegedly threatening mass bombings at the White House and other locations in the Washington, D.C., area.
He was charged by criminal complaint with "Making an Interstate Threat to Injure" on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona.
Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court on October 8, but the Justice Department has not yet announced a motive.
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According to the criminal complaint, Hicks emailed a local Tucson news station on September 23, claiming there would be an imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C.
A part of that email read: "You Americans will pay. Allah, to Allah," News13 reported.
Scripps News Tucson notified law enforcement, which opened an investigation and identified Hicks as the alleged sender, prosecutors said.
Investigators also found unsent drafts dated September 23 in the same email account, which authorities tied to Hicks.
The drafts were addressed to other news agencies and contained similar threats against the White House and surrounding areas, according to the complaint.
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The Justice Department did not say that explosives were found or that an attack was attempted. The charge concerns the alleged threat.
"We must take threats of violence like this one seriously," U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said. "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."
FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day said: "The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats and will investigate them to the fullest extent of the law.
"We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people."
The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, based in Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
Newsweek has approached the White House for comment and awaits a response.
What Is Currently Known About Hicks?
The Justice Department has identified Hicks as a 46-year-old Tucson resident. However, it has not released further biographical details, including his occupation or a possible motive.
Searches of publicly indexed social media did not surface a profile that could be reliably confirmed as belonging to him.
The case is part of National Security Presidential Memorandum 7. This is a White House-directed initiative that the Justice Department describes as an interagency effort to bring together federal, state and local partners.
The stated aim is to protect First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence.
The investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard leads the initiative.
Hicks was charged by a criminal complaint, which the Justice Department describes as a formal accusation of criminal conduct.
He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The case number is 26-MJ-10107.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and James Debens
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