An FBI investigation into recent bomb threats made to Jewish community centers around the country has led to the arrest of St. Louis native Juan Thompson.
The 31-year-old former journalist was charged with cyberstalking, allegedly making bomb threats in the name of his ex-girlfriend, according to the Department of Justice. Based on the FBI’s investigation, Thompson made at least eight threats, which included one to a Jewish community center in Manhattan and to the Anti-Defamation League.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
“Today, we have charged Juan Thompson with allegedly stalking a former romantic interest, among other things, making bomb threats in her name to Jewish community centers in New York and around the country,” said U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, in a statement. “Threats of violence targeting people and places based on religion or race—whatever the motivation—are unacceptable, un-American, and criminal.”
According to the investigation, some of Thompson’s threats were made in his own name that appear to make it seem like his ex-girlfriend was trying to frame him. On February 7, a bomb threat emailed to a Manhattan Jewish community center from an anonymous account read: “Juan Thompson put two bombs in the office of the Jewish center today. He wants to create Jewish newton tomorrow.” The second sentence appears to refer to the December 2012 school shooting in Newton, Connecticut.
Thompson previously worked for the The Intercept, an online news publication, from November 2014 to January 2016. He was fired for fabricating sources and quotes in his articles.
“We were horrified to learn this morning that Juan Thompson, a former employee of The Intercept, has been arrested in connection with bomb threats against the ADL and multiple Jewish community centers in addition to cyberstalking,” The Intercept said in a statement. “These actions are heinous and should be fully investigated and prosecuted. We have no information about the charges against Thompson other than what is included in the criminal complaint.”
A 2016 cover story by the Riverfront Times investigated Thompson’s journalistic practices and found his reporting had been misleading for years.
On Thompson’s Twitter account, he claims his ex-girlfriend is solely responsible for the threats. According to the FBI investigation, Thompson said in a tweet from February 24 that the woman, “though I can’t prove it, even sent a bomb threat in my name to a Jewish center, which was odd given her antisemitic statements. I got a visit from the FBI. So now I’m battling the racist FBI and this vile, evil, racist white woman.”
Thompson was arrested today in St. Louis with one count of cyberstalking, according to the Department of Justice.
“We are committed to pursuing and prosecuting those who foment fear and hate through such criminal threats,” Bharara said in a statement.
