Dale Ankney, 72, of Jeannette, Pa., was arrested on Thursday on federal charges for allegedly threatening FBI agents who came to his home to question him about anti-Israel, antisemitic and anti-ICE messages that he posted online
According to an FBI affidavit, investigators reviewed Ankney’s public Facebook account and identified many posts advocating violence against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and others. On Jan. 14, he allegedly posted, “May f****** Israel burn, Zionist burn, IDF burn, Mossad burn, think Holocaust going to happen again only for a good reason this time.”
On June 17, two FBI task force officers and an FBI special agent visited Ankney at his home. When he answered the door, they told him that they had questions about his online posts. “F*** whoever reported it, and f*** you too,” he allegedly told them.
One of the FBI task force officers advised Ankney to “stop posting threatening language online.”
As the federal agents were leaving, Ankney allegedly said, “I will cap your a**.”
After checking the state’s database, agents determined that Ankney owned registered guns.
A U.S. magistrate judge issued an arrest warrant the same day, and Ankney was taken into custody on Thursday morning. He was scheduled to appear in court later in the day before the same judge.
“Threats against those who protect this nation and those who serve the public will not be tolerated,” stated Richard Evanchec, special agent in charge of the FBI Pittsburgh office.
“Words that cross the line well beyond First Amendment protections will be met with decisive law enforcement action,” he stated. “You will be held accountable.”
