A 45-year-old Colorado man was charged Monday with repeatedly making online threats to murder election officials and others in Colorado and Arizona.
Teak Ty Brockbank, 45, of Cortez was arrested Friday and made his initial court appearance in Durango on Monday. He is charged with making interstate threats and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said he would remain in custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday.
“We allege that the defendant made detailed death threats against election officials, judges and law enforcement officers,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement. Their names were redacted from court records.
In 2021 and 2022, online accounts on the Rumble and Gab forums, which investigators said belonged to Brockbank, posted threats, including to shoot or hang various officials.
In August 2022, an account believed to belong to Brockbank posted on Rumble: “So those of us who have the courage for what needs to be done should mentally prepare ourselves for what we are all about to do!!!!!! It’s about time.”
According to court documents, investigators also obtained a search warrant for his phone and found threatening text messages.
Brockbank did not immediately respond to a text message or email from The Associated Press seeking comment on Monday. Court records did not list an attorney for him who could speak on his behalf.
The case is being brought under the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was created in June 2021 to counter threats against poll workers and ensure they can do their jobs without intimidation.
