An Arizona man was arrested Wednesday after allegedly emailing a local news station with a threat to bomb the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C., federal officials announced.
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, faces a charge of making an interstate threat to injure, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Authorities said Hicks sent an email on September 23, claiming there would be an "imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C." The news station subsequently alerted law enforcement, initiating an investigation.
Investigators identified Hicks as the alleged sender and discovered additional email drafts in his account. These drafts, also dated September 23, were addressed to other news organizations and contained similar threats targeting the White House and other D.C. sites.
"We must take threats of violence like this one seriously," stated U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. "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."
The FBI led the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day emphasized the importance of community partnership, saying, "We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people."
Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday.