New Mexico Man Charged With Threatening to Kill President Joe Biden in Text Message

A New Mexico man is facing a federal charge for allegedly threatening to kill President Joe Biden, CNN reported.

John Benjamin Thornton, 39, was arrested Monday, according to Doña Anna County Detention Center and was booked just before 3 p.m. that afternoon.
Thornton is accused of sending a series of bizarre texts to people in other states, KOB reported.

The FBI said that Thornton sent out messages that read "Joe Biden for treason;” "I'm killing them for superconductive quantum tunneling into the brainwaves of methamphetamine users."

In another message, the FBI says Thornton said he wanted to "start the revolution."

Another message allegedly from Thornton said that he was "taking leadership of revolutionary Army called the the [sic] 3%ers," an apparent reference to the anti-government Three Percenters group, CNN said.

The FBI said the messages were sent from a phone owned by Thornton, CNN reported.

"Thornton has been the subject of complaints since November 11, 2020, by several persons who have received messages characterized as disturbing or threatening since that time," according to an FBI complaint obtained by CNN.

Thornton is charged with using interstate commerce communications to threat or injure a person.

The FBI said that the alleged perpetrator called himself a "revolutionary war general," and texted: "5 stars after I execute Joe Biden for Treason."

The FBI did not identify who received the text messages or whether they had any prior connection to Thornton, CNN reported.

Thornton is being held without bond, according to Doña Ana County Jail records. He is scheduled to appear in a Las Cruces courtroom Friday at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing, the court U.S. District Court in Las Cruces told Inside Edition Digital.

Thorton was assigned a federal public defender, according the  U.S. District Court in Las Cruces. Inside Edition Digital has reached out to his attorney for comment but has not heard back.

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