Vegas man pleads not guilty to threatening president
A Las Vegas man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of threatening President Barack Obama and other government officials.
Tyrone Paul Ponthieux, 55, was indicted last week on 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 officials, including an FBI agent, in September.
The last threat allegedly was made after Ponthieux's June arrest.
U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. set a Jan. 25 trial date for Ponthieux, who is in federal custody.
Defense lawyer William Gamage said he intends to file court papers seeking to free his client pending trial.
Ponthieux threatened Obama and members of Congress in November 2014 though statements on his Facebook page, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in June.
"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 alleges the threat was discovered by FBI agents assigned to an anti-terrorism squad while doing Internet searches in another investigation.
Ponthieux told agents he made the threats because he was "very angry and frustrated with the United States government," the complaint alleged.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ
