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On Monday, August 14, 2022, federal authorities arrested Adam Bies for threatening to slaughter FBI agents. Bies was enraged after officials conducted a raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property.
In a social media post, Adam Bies threatened the FBI and law enforcement stating:
"My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop…"
Another post said:
"If You Work For The FBI Then You Deserve To Die."
Authorities have charged Adam Bies, 46, of Mercer, Pennsylvania, with one count of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers. If found guilty, he could be jailed for at least 10 years.
As per a criminal complaint registered in his case, the FBI's domestic terrorism tracking group flagged posts from his account "BlankFocus."
One of his many violent posts read:
"Every single piece of s— who works for the FBI in any capacity, from the director down to the janitor who cleans their f—ing toilets deserves to die. You’ve declared war on us and now it’s open season."
Adam Bies would rant against mask mandates and coronavirus vaccine
Adam Bies also said that the FBI was similar to Nazi SS and the Soviet-era KGB. He has used Gab, a microblogging and social networking site used predominantly by far-right extremists, to express his views.
A self-described photographer, his professional website detailed how disappointed he was with the forces who are transforming the American economy.
Gab follows the QAnon conspiracy theory and does not moderate its content as much. Several critics have voiced their opinions against the platform and claimed it could promote violence.
As per the arrest affidavit, Gab shared details of Adam Bies' private chats and posting history to federal authorities following an emergency disclosure request.
Federal officials are worried about the rise in right-wing violence, especially in Pennsylvania. Reportedly, over 70 extremist groups participated in the US Capitol Building riot that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Even authorities have described Bies’ posts as "unprecedented", referring to the level of violent threats and his calls for "civil war" or "armed rebellion."
Last week, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint intelligence briefing in view of the threats against law enforcement on social media. This was in response to a "dirty bomb" planted outside FBI's headquarters in Washington.
In one such attack on the FBI in Cincinnati, a Pennsylvania man named Ricky Shiffer, 42, tried to enter the FBI building with a nail gun and an AR-15-style rifle. However, he was killed in a standoff with authorities.
Hours after Shiffer's death, Adam Bies wrote:
"I already know I’m going to die at the hands of these... law enforcement sc*mbags. My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop."
He added:
"I will not spend one second of my life in their custody."
According to an official press release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bengel will be the prosecutor in this case. Meanwhile, the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, North Country Violent Offender Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General have been assigned with the task of investigating the case.
