DENVER— A 33-year-old man who was arrested for threatening to kill law enforcement officers will make a court appearance on Monday in U.S. District Court, officials said.
Jeremiah M. Perez, age 33, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was arrested Monday without incident for posting online threats advocating the killing of police officers and retired police officers in Colorado, federal officials announced Tuesday.
If convicted, Perez faces up to five years in federal prison, and not more than a $250,000 fine.
On December 17, 2014, Google urgently contacted the FBI San Francisco Office to report what they perceived as a threat, which consisted of a comment posted in association with a YouTube video.
The FBI San Francisco Office immediately initiated an investigation into the threat, posted by user name “Vets Hunting Cops,” which was focused on killing police officers, and ultimately learned that the posting came from an IP address in Colorado, officials said.
The FBI in Colorado was notified and continued the investigation, which revealed that the IP address was assigned to Century Link and resolved at a specific address in Colorado Springs, according to authorities.
Officials said the FBI and Colorado Springs Police Department then began surveillance of those who lived at that address.
The following day the FBI and Colorado Springs Police Department served a federal search warrant on Perez’s address, officials said.
The threat Perez allegedly posted stated, in part: “SINCE DARREN WILSON our group has killed 6 retired sheriffs and cops……because of this event we will hunt two more in colorado this week…..for every innocent citizen that cops kill WE, VETERANS WILL KILL RETIRED HELPLESS COPS.” The threat further said, “COPS ARE THE REAL ENEMIES OF FREEDOM LOVING AMERICANS and TIME TO STRIKE BACK IN ALL OUT WAR IS NOW.”
“Those who threaten the lives of law enforcement officers through interstate communications will be fully investigated by the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle.
Adding, “The perceived anonymity of the Internet will not serve as a shield for espousing violence in violation of federal law. In conducting this investigation, we would like to thank the Colorado Springs Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their invaluable assistance.”