New Orleans Man Indicted For Making Threats to Kill the President
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -JOHN TURNPAUGH, age 47, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted yesterday in a four count indictment by a federal grand jury for making threats to kill the President, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the indictment, on December 30, 2009, a New Orleans Police Department 911 operator received a call from an anonymous caller, who stated that he was going to kill Barack Obama and his wife and then hung up. The indictment also alleges that on December 31, 2009, TURNPAUGH possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana. Further, according to the indictment, TURNPAUGH illegally possessed several firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
If convicted of all charges, TURNPAUGH faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, as well as $1 million in fines.
U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the charges in the indictment are merely allegations and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by agents from the U. S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. and Salvadore Perricone.
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