New Mexico Man Accused of Plotting to Kill Biden

John Thornton also threatened to kill ex-wife and staff at computer firm, investigators say
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 27, 2021 4:09 AM CDT
New Mexico Man Accused of Plotting to Kill Biden
John Thornton.   (Dona Ana County Detention Center)

A New Mexico man is accused of sending text messages threatening to overthrow the government and execute President Biden, among numerous others, including his ex-wife. The FBI says Las Cruces resident John Thornton, 39, sent threatening messages to people in Florida and Texas, the Las Cruces Sun News reports. "Tell my concern their father is The revolutionary war general," one message reads. "5 stars now. 5 stars after I execute Joe Biden for Treason." The FBI says Thornton also threatened to execute "every single" staff member at Canadian computing company D-Wave Systems Inc.

In dozens of Facebook posts, Thornton claimed the Canadian company was linked to the Cold War research project MK Ultra and accused it of plotting with the US government to drug people with methamphetamine, the Sun News reports. The FBI says Thornton also threated to execute the people he sent messages to. He faces a federal charge of transmitting in interstate commerce communication containing any threat to injure the person of another, reports KFOX. (More New Mexico stories.)

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