LANSING (WWJ) - A former University of Michigan employee is facing criminal charges after allegedly threatening to kill Attorney General Dana Nessel, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and other Jewish elected officials in the Michigan government.
Nessel took to Twitter on Thursday morning to announce that she was the target of Jack Carpenter III, who tweeted last month he was heading back to Michigan to kill Jewish government officials in the state if they don't leave or confess.
"The FBI has confirmed I was a target of the heavily armed defendant in this matter," Nessel wrote. "It is my sincere hope that the federal authorities take this offense just as seriously as my Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism Unit takes plots to murder elected officials."
The FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) became aware of the threatening tweets against Nessel and others on Feb, 17 and within the next 24 hours, handed the information over to agents in Detroit.
According to the FBI complaint, screenshots of the threats made by the Twitter user 'TemperedReason' stated, "Within the next 48 hours I will be back in Michigan. Whether I have to sell more silver or weather [sic] my mother, who participated in these acts against me, sends money to get back there after confessing her role to me," and "I'm heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is jewish in the Michigan govt if they don't leave, or confess, and now that kind of problem. Because I can Legally do that, right?"
As agents investigated the threats, they found the same Twitter account had posted a Declaration of Sovereignty which claimed a new country named "New Israel" was formed within a nine mile radius of an address in Tipton, Mich., located in Lenawee County
FBI agents were able to identify Carpenter to the address provided on the Twitter post and discovered he has a valid but unserved Personal Protection Order against him signed near the beginning of February. He had also been previously arrested by the Michigan State Police in December 2022 for assault.
In addition, agents found through the statewide computerized information system that Carpenter had three 9mm handguns registered him.
In the complaint, agents stated they spoke with troopers from the Brighton post who said they were currently investigating Carpenter for allegedly stealing a Smith and Wesson handgun from his girlfriend. Troopers told FBI agents that they had spoken to Carpenter who allegedly admitted to stealing the weapon, but said the State of Michigan has no authority over him.
State police said the suspect's mother, identified only as LD in the complaint, of Van Buren Township, had called the post, telling police that her son was in Texas and had contacted her for money.
"She refused him and he became angry, saying he would sell some sliver to get money, but he was returning to Michigan in the next few days," agents said court documents.
At this time, federal agents were able to link Carpenter to the Twitter account where another Tweet was posted the morning of Feb, 18 that read: "I'll be coming back to Michigan, still driving with expired plates. You may want to let everyone know, and Wayne County sheriff as well, any attempt to subdue me will be met with deadly force in self-defense."
Carpenter's mother told authorities that her son had three handguns, a 12 gauge shotgun and two hunting rifles, one of which is an MIA, military-style hunting rifle.
His mother also gave police her son's cell number as well as a description of his vehicle, a 2015 green Ford Fusion with Michigan plates that expired in Nov. 22.
Agents pinged Carpenter's cell to a suburb in Fort Worth, Texas, indicated his Tweets were sent across state lines.
Carpenter had also claimed in earlier tweets to be a former employee of the University of Michigan who “was fired for refusing to take experimental medication,” seemingly in direct reference to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency confirmed Carpenter's employment at University of Michigan, where he worked for 10 years as a systems administrator in the computing department at the dean’s office of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. He was and let him go in 2021.
Carpenter had several other public tweets, still visible on the account as of March 1, that referenced multiple right-wing conspiracy theories, including the QAnon and that President Joe Biden did not lawfully win his election against former President Donald Trump.
In another tweet, Carpenter made threats against Elon Musk who he said would be “publicly hanged.”
Carpenter was arrested in Texas and is currently being held in federal prison. He has a detention hearing scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Nessel urged anyone who has been a target of hateful threats or may know anything about a hate crime to reach out to her office.
"If you are a victim of a hate crime or have credible information about a hate crime, please contact the Michigan Department of Attorney General at 313-456-0180."