Indiana Man Claiming Link to Las Vegas Cop-Killers Faces Charges after Threatening Police, Judges
An Indiana man claiming to be linked to two cop-killers in Nevada was arraigned today in Indiana on federal charges after making social media threats to kill local police and “blow the Tippecanoe County Courthouse to pieces.”
Samuel L. Bradbury, 22, of Pine Village, Ind., boasted about his affiliation with Las Vegas killers Jerad and Amanda Miller, whom he claimed were part of a group called “765 Anarchists,” an antigovernment group he leads, according to state court documents filed in Indiana.
Bradbury was charged in federal court with extortion and making threats via "interstate communications" and "willfully threaten[ing] the use of explosive materials," according to court documents.
The FBI and local police in Indiana appear to be working to determine the exact connection, if any, between Bradbury and the Millers, and who else might be involved with the antigovernment anarchist cell.
The Millers shot and killed two Las Vegas police officers on June 8 before dying themselves in an ensuing shootout. Earlier, Jerad Miller traveled to Cliven Bundy’s Nevada ranch during the standoff with federal agents, and in a television interview, threatened federal officials.
The Lafayette Journal-Courier reported that Bradbury was arrested June 21 after local police got a tip from a citizen who told them about Facebook postings Bradbury had made, threatening to kill a Tippecanoe County judge, an Indiana Supreme Court justice and two Tippecanoe County law enforcement officers.
Bradbury remains in custody at the Tippecanoe County Jail on four state felony intimidation charges. Bond on those state charges was set at $100,000.
Bradbury claimed to be the leader of the “765 Anarchists” which he said had been formed for the purpose of killing local law enforcement officers, the Lafayette newspaper reported.
Some of Bradbury’s posts described in the affidavit include references to gathering thermite and other explosives and the possibility of a suicide bombing, the newspaper said.
Bradbury’s Facebook page showed his favorite pages included “No Tears for Dead Cops,” “I Hate Cops” and “Illuminati Exposed (This is the Resistance).” The so-called Illuminati is a favorite target of white supremacists, anti-Semites, anti-government extremists and conspiracy theorists who believe a secret group of wealthy, elite, influential leaders are working together to bring about a New World Order – a global fascist state.
Some of Bradbury’s antigovernment anger may stem from his loss a year ago in a police-search criminal case that he had appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Bradbury was arrested Oct. 3, 2011, when Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office deputies learned he was dealing marijuana from his home, the court ruling said.
When deputies went to Bradbury’s home, he stepped outside and they conducted a pat-down search for officer safety, believing he might be armed. They didn’t find any weapons, but a quantity of marijuana in his pockets, and he was arrested.
Bradbury subsequently was charged with three felonies – maintaining a common nuisance, dealing in marijuana, and possession of marijuana. Bradbury filed a motion to suppress, arguing that the pat-down search was illegal. But on in a decision in June 2013, the appeals court disagreed, ruling the police search of Bradbury wasn’t illegal and the charges could go forward. The disposition of those state charges couldn’t immediately be determined.
