PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Federal court documents are shedding light into the FBI’s investigation into a man who reportedly made threats to kill President Barack Obama.
John Roos remains in custody in Jackson County following his arrest by the FBI earlier this week. On Friday, the United States Attorney’s Office charged Roos with one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce.
The investigation started in mid-February when the FBI was tipped off to Facebook and Twitter posts that contained threats to kill the President and to shoot FBI agents, according to a criminal complaint.
The Twitter account was identified in court documents as “@indnjohnpatriot.”
In Jan., a Facebook post, reportedly made by Roos, stated “FBI acts like they are something to be feared after ambushing American patriots in Oregon, [sic] they are [redacted]. We will snipe them with hunting rifles everywhere.”
In Nov. 2015, Roos reportedly used Facebook to write that the President was on “hit lists,” according to the complaint.
Some of Roos’ posts to Twitter appear to show his anger over the death of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum during the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
“FBI murders, I am not Lavoy. I see a FBI vest or badge I start shooting and cazil [sic] it self defense, [sic] Come get this old man. Ur [sic] [redacted],” according to the criminal complaint.
In March 2016, the FBI spoke with Roos about the social media posts and he “acknowledged he was the person responsible for the postings that threatened President Obama and FBI agents,” according to the complaint.
He told agents that the posts were made to blow off steam, records show.
When Roos was questioned a second time by federal investigators, he told them the he “can’t help the way I feel,” according to the criminal complaint.
Earlier this week, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Medford where they found a semi-automatic pistol and at least four pipe bombs, according to the criminal complaint.
Roos has yet to appear in U.S. District Court. It is expected that he will appear before a judge within the next couple of days.
Filed under: Crime, National, Oregon
