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In text messages sent to people in two states, a New Mexico man threatened to kill President Joe Biden and others. John Benjamin Thornton is accused of sending a threat to harm another person using interstate commerce communications.
In a criminal complaint, incoherent texts reportedly from Thornton included claims that he was taking command of a revolutionary army called the [sic] 3%ers, an apparent reference to the anti-government Three Percenters group. According to the lawsuit, Thornton texted: "5 stars after I execute Joe Biden for Treason," referring to himself as a revolutionary war general.
In the complaint document, FBI investigators did not specify who received the text messages or whether they had any prior connection to Thornton. Doa Ana County Jail records indicate the New Mexico man is being held without bond and has not been given an attorney as of Wednesday afternoon.
The messages reportedly suggest that a Canadian computer corporation was employing a device to "Tunnel into the Brainwaves of All Methamphetamine Users Brainwaves, globally," said the criminal complaint. Thornton allegedly threatened to "shotgun execute every single one of them" at the company in text conversations, as well as saying, "My former wife is a traitor and my new government is likely to be executed her," CBS58 reported.
The messages were sent from a phone, which Thornton held that included a photo of him, the FBI claimed. Since November 11, 2020, multiple people have filed complaints against Thornton, alleging they have received unpleasant or threatening texts.
"I'm killing them for superconductive quantum tunneling into the brainwaves of methamphetamine users," the rant continued, as per KOB4. Thornton would "start the revolution," according to another message.
He'll appear in a Las Cruces courthouse for a detention hearing on Friday.
Other posts discuss assassinating President Biden and conspiracy theories surrounding the computer company he threatened. However, the criminal complaint makes no mention of the Facebook posts, according to the court documents.
The FBI arrested Thornton on May 24. He is being held without bond in the Doa Ana County Jail. Thornton's arrest follows a series of security threats directed at the president, including one in which a guy threatened to kidnap both Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden.
Joe Biden receives death threats in recent months
In recent months, numerous other threats have been made against President Joe Biden. David Kyle Reeves, a North Carolina man, made similar threats in February 2021. "Reeves contacted the White House switchboard many times via telephone and made threats against President Biden and others," as per a criminal complaint against him.
MEAWW reported in March 2021 that a Michigan man named Joshua Docter had threatened to shoot Biden and Nancy Pelosi. Docter was accused of threatening to kill the officials and be the catalyst for a new American revolution by shooting and killing them. Later, Docter was charged with terrorism. When they were the Democratic nominees, a Maryland man was charged with threatening Joe Biden and his running mate, now-Vice President Kamala Harris, in October.
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