Arizona Emo Anarchist Charged With Threating To Burn Down Page Courthouse, Police Department

Loren Reed was arrested after threatening to burn down the Page courthouse [Photos via social media]

PHOENIX, Ariz. – A Page, Arizona man, Loren Reed, was arrested on June 2, and charged with using the internet and telephone to willfully threaten to unlawfully damage or destroy a building by fire. Reed appeared on the charges Thursday, June 4, before United States Magistrate Judge Camille Bibles of the District of Arizona.

Reed, an “Emo” was obviously not a fan of President Donald Trump or the police.

From the Urban Dictionary:

emo

1) An emotional person. They are not depressed all the time and some are acually (sic) very happy at times. They do smile, they don’t sit in a corner crying all day. Some are actually quite popular and laugh and joke around lots.

NB: Emo does not mean the person cuts themselves, they might but that is not why they’re emo.

According to the Department of Justice, a conviction for using the internet and telephone to willfully threaten to unlawfully damage or destroy a building by fire carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The FBI Special Agent in the case filed the following affidavit:

This case involves a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(e): the use of an instrument of interstate commerce that is a telephone and internet, to willfully make a threat to unlawfully damage or destroy a building by means of fire. The events described in this document occurred within the District of Arizona; and online, the internet and cellular telephone service, unless otherwise described in this Affidavit.

Page Police Department is in Arizona public safety organization, a division of the City of Page that provides law enforcement services in the District of Arizona.

On May 30, 2020, a Concerned Citizen (CC) called the Page Police Department and reported that Loren Reed had created a private Facebook chat group. The CC said that Reed was trying to get people to join a riot that was planned at the Page courthouse on May 31, 2020. (Affiant learned that Reed later moved the planned riot to June 2, 2020 to get more people involved.)

Page Police Department maintains an undercover Facebook account.

Officers used this account to research the information that had been provided by CC. Undercover Officers contacted Reed in a private message and Reed made the statement “I wanna burn down the courthouse.” Reed then invited the undercover officers to the private Facebook chat group.

Page Police employees/officers have continued to monitor this private Facebook group and have captured approximately ninety-five (and counting) screen shots of messages within this group. These screen shots were of messages posted between May 30 and June 2, 2020. The Affiant has reviewed all of this information.

Within the ninety-five screen shots showing messages within this private chat, the Affiant has observed the following posts which are either direct quotes or paraphrased by the Affiant:

• Reed stated that he wants to burn down the courthouse and he needs someone to bring gas. (The Affiant knows from his experience in Page, AZ that the courthouse in Page is the Page Magistrate Courthouse at 547 Vista Ave, Page, AZ.);

• Reed stated “Arson, Assault, Conspiracy, here we come”;

• Reed stated that he will accept it if he gets caught;

• Reed stated that everyone in the jail will respect him for burning down the courthouse;

• Reed and a co-conspirator discuss what pharmacies that there are in town to loot after the fire. They agree to loot the Safeway pharmacy. (The Affiant knows there is a Safeway pharmacy in Page, AZ.);

• Reed stated that he. has told a bunch of people to meet/start at the courthouse;

• Reed told the others in the group to arm themselves with firewood and flammables;

• Reed and others discussed the gear and abilities of the Page PD and specifically mention the Page Mayor (Affiant believes that this discussion confirmed the group’s target is the Page Magistrate Court.);

• Reed is asked if they should make their plans public and he instructs the group to keep their group limited to invites only;

• After additional conversation, Reed stated “TBH (to be honest) fuck government buildings, I still wanna burn the courthouse down”;

• Reed then stated let’s just light the courthouse on fire;

• Reed then added that they will then light on fire a Page Police Department office;

• Reed then stated that if the group will all throw gasoline molotovs, it will only take seconds rather than him spending ten minutes laying gasoline everywhere;

• Reed and another individual discussed what are the best substances to use to fuel Molotov cocktails and how to obtain these fuels;

• Reed then stated he will go buy as much of this substance (rubbing alcohol) as he can and fuck it if it looks suspicious;

• Reed then stated they should just torch the place and book it toward the golf course or just go home and not stick around for the other bullshit (The Affiant knows that the Lake Powell golf course is approximately ¼ mile from the Page Magistrate Court.);

• Reed set the date and time for these events to be June 2, 2020, at 9:00 p.m.

Additionally, within these chat messages, individuals in the group expressed their dislike for police and their willingness to engage in violence towards the police. One individual posted a photograph of a box of rocks with anti-law enforcement messages painted on the rocks.

On the morning of June 2, 2020, a Page Police Department Officer found a rock, similarly painted that had been thrown at his property.

Through Reed’s Facebook profile, Page PD identified Reed’s cellular phone numb r as 928-614-0847. This cellular device is serviced by Verizon. Page PD used a lawful investigative technique and pinged this cell phone to locate the device. The phone reported to the cellular network that the device was located in Page, AZ, within the District of AZ.

Page PD called this cellular number, in an undercover capacity, and used a ruse to speak to the individual in control of this cellular device. This person identified themselves to the undercover officer as Loren Reed.

On June 1, 2020, Reed posted in the private group chat that he was going to go to a bar in Page, AZ. and yell ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards) and “fuck cops, until someone wanted to fight him.

On June 2, 2020, in\the early morning hours, Page PD was called to the State 48 bar in response to Loren Reed creating a disturbance at the bar. Reed was not loc ted by the police. A short time later, Reed posted in this chat group that he had just been kicked out of the State 48 bar and that he almost fought an individual that had the initials JF.

Based on my training and experience, I know that Facebook is a social media company whose headquarters are located outside of the State of Arizona and who maintains internet infrastructure outside of the State of Arizona.

Based on my training and experience I know that Verizon is a cellular provider whose headquarter are located outside of the State of Arizona.

Based on my training and experience, I know that a smart cellular device can be used to access social media sites like Facebook and can be used to post to social media sites and to read messages on social media sites.

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