FBI Agents arrested Gregory Truchanowicz, age 43, at his home in Bend, Oregon, on one count of sending a threatening communication. The arrest, on Monday, February 4, 2019, was without incident.
A federal criminal complaint alleges that Truchanowicz sent an email to a Pennsylvania police chief on January 14, 2019, that read in part: “It IS my job to kill you and any/all of your subordinates as I swore an oath to defend America from you, domestic enemies of the constitution. I_must_stand by this oath.”
The complaint further alleges that in October and November 2018, Truchanowicz submitted two online tips to the FBI saying that authorities in Pennsylvania had arranged for skinhead gang members to assault him, causing him to flee that state. In one instance, he wrote of the police officers: “…it is my duty as a professional soldier to kill them as leaders of terrorist organizations.”
The complaint says that in another tip, Truchanowicz wrote “I’ve decided to declare civil war against police for their crimes.”
Truchanowicz attempted to purchase a firearm in Oregon in November 2018, but because Pennsylvania authorities had a protective order in place which prohibited his possession or purchase of a firearm, the transaction failed. In a separate instance, he informed Oregon State Police that “a biker friend with a devil tattoo offered me a police issue .38 special with the serial number ground off and a box of ammunition.”
Truchanowicz made his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Eugene on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. The judge ordered him detained pending future court proceedings.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and all defendants should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The FBI takes threats of violence seriously and encourages members of the public to report information about such threats by calling their nearest FBI office or by submitting information online at https://tips.fbi.gov. If a person fears for their immediate safety, they should call 911.
###
