TUCSON, ARIZ. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Arizona), published as received.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jacob Aaron Hicks, 46, of Tucson, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with Making an Interstate Threat to Injure. Hicks is accused of sending an email on Sep.23, 2026, threatening to commit mass bombings at the White House and around the Washington, D.C. area. Hicks made his initial appearance in federal court today.

“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “I am grateful to our local news station for referring this threat to law enforcement, and to the FBI for addressing the situation quickly, professionally, and with the level of commitment it required.” 

"The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats and will investigate them to the fullest extent of the law," said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. "We appreciate the community partner who reported the threat to law enforcement. Cooperation and partnership are essential to protecting the American people."

According to the criminal complaint, Hicks emailed a local Tucson news station on Sep. 23, claiming that there would be an imminent bomb strike against the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C. The news station notified law enforcement, who began an investigation and identified Hicks as the alleged sender of the email. 

As part of its investigation, law enforcement located additional unsent email drafts from the same email account tied to Hicks. These draft emails, which were also dated Sep. 23, were addressed to other news agencies and contained similar threats to the White House and surrounding areas. 

This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard. 

The FBI is conducting the investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CASE NUMBER:            26-MJ-10107
RELEASE NUMBER:    2026-170_Hicks 

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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