Arizona Resident Arrested for Email Threat Claiming Bomb Plot Against White House
Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson was taken into custody after allegedly emailing a local TV station with a bomb threat targeting the White House and other Washington, D.C., sites.
A Tucson man, Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of making an interstate threat to injure after allegedly emailing a local television station with a bomb warning aimed at the White House and other Washington, D.C., sites. The email, dated Sept. 23, prompted the station to alert police, leading to a rapid response by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service. Investigators traced the message back to Hicks and found additional draft threats addressed to other news organizations.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine emphasized the seriousness of such threats and thanked the station for its cooperation. FBI Phoenix Special Agent Rebecca Day highlighted the importance of community reporting in protecting the public. Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday.
Why it matters
The arrest shows how quickly authorities act on threats to national landmarks and underscores the role of media in reporting potential terrorism.
In this story
