Las Vegas man indicted on charges of threatening Obama, others
A Las Vegas man was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges of threatening President Barack Obama and other government officials.
Tyrone Paul Ponthieux, 55, who is in federal custody, faces one felony count of threatening the life of the president in November 2014 and one count of threatening to assault, kidnap and murder other unnamed federal officials, including an FBI agent, in September.
The last threats allegedly were made after Ponthieux's June arrest. He is to be arraigned on the charges in federal court on Nov 25.
Agents with the Las Vegas FBI's domestic terrorism squad questioned Ponthieux at his home May 21 about whether he inquired about obtaining ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizer and making bombs, according to a complaint unsealed in June.
Independently, agents learned that Ponthieux had made a death threat on his Facebook page in November 2014 against Obama and members of Congress, the complaint alleged. The Facebook page contains a photo of Ponthieux sitting on a black Hummer holding an AR-15 rifle.
"I think we all need to get our guns and shoot all these out of control congressmen and senators and Obama!" the threat said. "Any survivors, hang them, then try their dead bodies for high treason!"
The complaint alleged the threats were discovered "during the course of conducting open source Internet searches related to another investigation."
Ponthieux told FBI agents he made the threats because he was "very angry and frustrated with the United States government," according to the complaint.
Attorney William Gamage, who is defending Ponthieux, could not be reached for comment.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ
