New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

News Release

For Immediate Release
December 4, 2018

Contact:
Kate Spiner, Director of Communications
603-573-6103
kate.spiner@doj.nh.gov

Geoffrey W.R. Ward, Senior Assistant Attorney General
Chief, Criminal Justice Bureau
geoffrey.ward@doj.nh.gov / (603) 545-1737

Arrest of Brian Roberts for Criminal Threatening

Concord, NH – Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald, New Hampshire State Police Colonel Christopher J. Wagner, Concord Police Chief Bradley Osgood, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division Special Agent-In-Charge Harold H. Shaw announce the arrest today of Brian Roberts, age 38, on a class A misdemeanor charge of criminal threatening (RSA 631:4).

The charge alleges that Mr. Roberts did purposely threaten to commit any crime against the person of another with a purpose to terrorize any person, to wit: on or about November 30, 2018, Brian Roberts sent an electronic message to the website www.cia.gov in which Mr. Roberts stated, "Going to shoot Gov state of NH no matter what."

The charge is the result of an investigation that began on Friday, November 30, 2018, when officials from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) informed the Concord Police Department about messages associated with a single email account and which included the specific threat to the Governor as well as statements which expressed hatred toward the Jewish community. Thereafter federal, state, and local investigators, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), identified Mr. Roberts as the source of these statements and the threat.

Mr. Roberts is scheduled to be arraigned on the criminal threatening charge in the 6th Circuit Court-District Division-Concord tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. The investigation into this matter remains ongoing to include any possible violations of the Civil Rights Act under RSA ch. 354-B.

The charge and allegations are merely accusations, and Mr. Roberts is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658