Bucyrus man charged with making death threats against Arizona official

CLEVELAND - A Bucyrus man who was the subject of an FBI search on Dudley Street last week appeared in federal court on Monday, accused of making death threats against the governor-elect in Arizona.

Joshua Russell, 44, 423 Dudley St., faces three charges of making interstate threats, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern Ohio. The charges allege that on three occasions, he left messages with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office in which he threatened to injure or kill a specific individual, whose name is not included in court documents.

Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who's currently Arizona’s secretary of state, was elected the state's next governor in November. According to USA Today reports, she defeated Republican Kari Lake, a former television news anchor embraced by former President Donald Trump for her groundless claims of a 2020 stolen election.

During Monday's hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan D. Greenberg ordered that Russell remain in the custody until a detention hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

'You're an enemy of the United States'

One of the federal court documents cites a message left on the Arizona secretary of state's voicemail on Aug. 2, 2022:

"You've drug your feet, you've done nothing, to protect our election for 2020. You're committing election fraud, you're starting to do it again, from day one. You're the enemy of the United States, you're a traitor to this country, and you better put your ... [expletive] affairs in order, 'cause your days [inaudible] are extremely numbered. America's coming for you, you will pay with your life..."

Each of the three counts against Russell stems from a separate incident, according to court documents. Threats were left on the office's voicemail on Aug. 2, Sept. 9 and Nov. 15.

Hobbs was declared the winner of the gubernatorial race on Nov. 14, six days after the election.

In the message left on Nov. 15, the caller warns "a war is coming for you," according to court documents. "The entire nation is coming for you. And we will stop, at no end, until you are in the ground. You're a traitor to this nation. ... You just signed your own death warrant. Get your affairs in order, cause, your days are very short."

A statement of probable cause filed by a special agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Phoenix field office outlines how the threats were linked to Russell.

The threats came from two phone numbers, one with a 567 area code and the other, a 419 area code. Information indicated both numbers were linked to the same phone. The first number, which Tracfone Wireless reported was first activated on March 1, 2020, was associated with a Bucyrus address, according to court documents. The phone's International Mobility Equipment Identity, or IMEI, was associated with the Google account death4pelosi@gmail.com. The account was created on July 22 under the subscriber name "Revolution Now."

The phone used was purchased with Russell's debit card, according to the statement of probable cause. Data provided by Verizon Wireless indicated the calls were serviced by cell towers in Bucyrus and Galion.

On Dec. 6, the FBI obtained federal search warrants to search Russell's residence, vehicle and person for the phone and then to search the phone, according to court documents. On Dec. 8, FBI agents knocked on the door of the Dudley Street residence and spoke with Russell.

FBI used flash-bang device at Russell's residence

Bucyrus police and fire departments were on standby during the search, a police spokesman confirmed last week.

"Russell opened the door halfway, but kept an outer screen door closed," according to court documents. "An FBI agent identified himself to Russell ... and began asking Russell questions regarding his phone number and if he had any connections to Arizona. Russell refused to answer and closed his door."

Agents surrounded the residence, then announced they had a search warrant and that Russell needed to leave the house, according to the documents. They also tried to call his phone, but he did not answer.

Russell, who had "become belligerent," stayed in his residence for 15 to 20 minutes. The FBI used a flash-bang device and left a copy of the search warrant on the front porch, according to the statement of probable cause. Russell retrieved the warrant and went back in the house, then exited with his hands up and a cell phone in one hand. He was handcuffed and taken to a police car.

"Throughout the time that agents spoke to him, Russell maintained his belligerent demeanor, including after agents informed him that they were going to seize and search his phone, when he shouted at the agents and called the agents names," the records state.

Russell is being represented by a public defender, Cleveland attorney Carolyn M. Kucharski, according to court records.

Capt. Tom Walker, public information officer for the Bucyrus Police Department, said his department was contacted by the Mansfield office of the FBI to play a "backup role" in the search. "Our job was to maintain a perimeter and BFD's job was to provide EMS services in the event that ... something tragic were to have happened," he said.

Officers had very little knowledge of the charges involved, he said.

Responding officers reported Russell "seemed to be be very receptive to the Bucyrus police officers," Walker said. "His focus of — displeasure, would be the word I would use — was more with the federal agents that were on scene."

Walker said his department has had few encounters with Russell outside of what he would consider typical, such as traffic incidents.

"In 2020, he was involved in an incident at Wendy's where he was warned reference trespass because he was apparently yelling at one of the Wendy's drive-thru people," he said.

According to Crawford County Municipal Court records, Russell has been convicted on several nonviolent misdemeanor offenses over the years, beginning with an underage drinking charge in in 1997. Most were traffic offenses. Crawford County Common Pleas Court records indicate he has never been charged with a felony.

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Following search, Bucyrus man accused of threatening Arizona official