NBC News has learned that federal officials are downplaying the arrests, saying when one of the men was arrested, he made a threat against Obama, but they do not believe it was based on any kind of plan or actually intent.
"It looks like one guy just made a remark trying to act important," one federal official told NBC News.
However, other sources have told 9NEWS the three men may be connected to skinheads and that it appears they were involved in an assassination plot.
Aurora Police arrested the first man, 28-year-old Tharin Gartrell of Centennial, early Sunday morning after a routine traffic stop. During the traffic stop, officers found two rifles, boxes of ammunition, one rifle scope, a bullet proof vest, walkie-talkies and methamphetamines. Gartrell is being held in the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond and has a felony criminal record.
Aurora Police say a second man, 32-year-old Nathan Johnson, was arrested at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning at a hotel near Interstate 25 and Belleview Avenue. He is being held by Denver Police.
A third man, 33-year-old Shawn Adolf of Greeley, was arrested at Cherry Creek Hotel in Glendale on Monday. NBC News reports that when police knocked on his hotel door, Adolf jumped out a sixth floor window. He landed on an awning and then jumped down to the ground, injuring himself. He ran into nearby bushes where officers apprehended him. Authorities say he had weapons.
He was taken to Denver Health Medical Center where he was treated.
Adolf was wanted on seven outstanding warrants totally more than $1 million.
9Wants to Know has learned the Gartrell arrest led investigators to the Rockies Inn at Evans Avenue and Interstate 25 and information learned there led them to the Cherry Creek Hotel.
"We're trying to figure out what these guys had in mind," an unnamed federal official told 9NEWS.
Sources tell NBC the two men had tattoos and jewelry popular with white supremacists.
At the Rockies Inn, investigators made contact with a number of people tied to Gartrell's arrest.
9Wants to Know spoke with the manager of the Rockies Inn and she said that the police were in the inn parking lot on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and they took down car license plate numbers.
"This is a methamphetamine and firearms case that arose from a traffic stop made by an Aurora Police officer. Firearms and methamphetamine were seized, and a number of individual are in state custody. The matter continues to be under investigation," said U.S. Attorney Troy Eid.
"We're aware of the matter discussed tonight by the Aurora Police Department. Federal law enforcement is working hand-in-glove with the Aurora Police Department. Because this matter is currently under investigation, there is little we can say right now," said Eid. "We can say this: We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado."
Federal officials plan to hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Officials tell 9Wants to Know the guns, ammunition and scopes were concerning because of the hour of the arrest and the suspect's previous criminal history.
"There is no reason for someone [with a criminal record] to have rifles with scopes," said an unidentified source.
People convicted of a felony are not allowed to possess guns.
Gartrell faces charges of drug possession and possession of materials to make amphetamines.
"Federal agencies are working together to do a follow up investigation after the arrest," said the official. "There may be pending firearms charges."
Those charges will likely be federal charges.
Gartrell has numerous drug-related arrests.
In December 2006, he pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and received a deferred sentence.
When Gartrell was pulled over, an Aurora Police sergeant spotted him driving erratically in between lanes near East Hampden Avenue and South Parker Road at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. He was in a rented 2008 dark blue Dodge ram truck.
Gartrell was driving with a suspended driver's license and Aurora Police say he was on probation for previous drug charges.
Gartrell is a DJ at local clubs in Denver, including the Kazmos Lounge. His friends nicknamed him "Wheels" because he's always on the go. The owner of Kazmos Lounge says Gartrell is anything but a racist and says he can't believe Gartrell is being investigated as a possible white supremacist.
"He's just a total goofball. He's always smiling and making jokes, he's a big talker," said Victor Gomez, Kazmos Lounge owner. "He's not anti-black, absolutely not. He's not in any way shape or form a racist."
Adolf has a very lengthy criminal record. He was wanted on warrants for charges including theft, forgery, possession of a controlled substance, burglary.
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Really this makes me angry. Obama isn't just a presidential candidate. He is a symbol of change for a country that still has racial boundaries to clear. Now am I turning this into a, "I'm supporting Obama because he's black", type thing? Of course not. I am still unsure on who I will be voting for in November. But 20 years ago the idea of a black man getting even this far in the race would be laughed at. Now we are on the brink of it actually coming true. The thing is there's always been this idea burned into our head that when we have a black president he will be assassinated. Yes, odds are your favorite comedian has probably used that joke. For him to be this deep into it he has to had thought of this idea at least once. For him to still go out there knowing what can happen to him and what has been perceived to happen to someone in his position is an outstanding act of courage. Sadly this is one of many threats he, like every president, will get but his may be a little more serious if they caught this guy with ammo. I may not agree with all of Obama's politics but I commend him for doing what he's doing.
What's the black pres. thinkin' on election night
Is it how can I protect my life?
Protect my wife?
Protect my rights?
Every other president was nothin' less than white
Except Thomas Jefferson and mixed Indian blood
and Calvin coolers
KKK is like 'what the %$##', loadin' they guns up
loadin' mine too, Ready to ride
Cause im ridin with my crew
He dies - we die too
But on a positive side,
I think Obama provides Hope - and challenges minds
-Nas "Black President"
1 comment:
GARTRELL OUTSIDE RIGHTIST-ACTIVIST PALE
As the Democratic National Convention opened in Denver, an anonymous
poster to the Skinhead Website posted that "there is nothing wrong
with marijuana. I smoke, I just haven't been caught." The post was
deleted, with the warning that "it is unwise to post messages
condoning drug-use." The following day, Tharin Gartrell was arrested
in Denver at a traffic-stop and was "under investigation" for drug
and gun violations. Officials claimed "suspicion" that he was, also,
involved in a plot to kill Barack Obama. Two of Gartrell's associates
were later picked up, one of which, Nathan Johnson, was described as
a "meth-addict" and the other, Shawn Adolf, was said to have been
wearing a "Swastika ring." The news-media immediately linked
"racists," "murderers" and "drugs" all together.
The arrests came just days after Martin Williams, the
Skinhead-organizer of the "All-American America" protest at Pioneer
Monument Park in Denver, was arrested for "parole-violation" for
setting up the event. The speech by Richard Barrett was cancelled in
protest of what The Nationalist Movement called "egregious violation
of the First Amendment." Williams had obtained a rally-permit from
Denver, which, according to Daniel Williams, Martin's brother, had
triggered a barrage of background-checks and intimidation of
pro-majority activists in the area. Tyler Hansen denounced what he
termed the "plague" upon freedom. Gartrell was wearing ear-rings.
Both ear-rings and drug-use are strict no-nos under rules posted for
pro-majority activists over Nationalist and Skinhead websites.
"Barcelona-TV"-correspondent Richard Schweid, who had planned to
cover the Pioneer Monument Park protest, asked why the event did not
proceed, in order to dramatize the Williams-arrest. Organizers noted
that, during their protest at the 1988 Democratic Convention in
Atlanta, they had three lawyers lined up, Richard Barrett, Jimmy
Venable and H. G. McBrayer, with three additional lawyers in reserve,
Jane Plaginos, Jeffrey Sliz and Sam Dickson. When their spokesman
was arrested for delivering a speech outside the Convention, he was
released, without even being charged. Georgia-Governor Joe Frank
Harris called out the National Guard to protect the Nationalists.
Barrett said that since the "dynamics were different" in Denver,
Nationalists decided to boycott the Convention.
The point overlooked by the news-media was that, although some
pro-majority activists may involve themselves in drug or weapons
offenses, the practice is strictly condemned. In fact, those
violating such prohibitions are disciplined and, even, drubbed
out. Rob Collins, who took part in the 1994 "Favors for None"
protest at the Colorado State Capitol, was later arrested for
marijuana-possession and, then, excluded from further demonstrations.
When organizers confronted Rob Buck about drug-use, Buck, who later
died of a drug-overdose, was excluded, as was Jacob Yarbrough, for
making death-threats. Keith Ashton, an ex-con in possession of
weapons, was, also, given his walking-papers. However, Nationalists
consistently litigate in behalf of gun-rights and free-speech.
According to Anthony Szach, Skinheads "must be strong and resist
drugs." Richie Rose, a former drug-user, credits becoming a Skinhead
with getting off drugs. Rose called drugs "pathetic and stupid."
Meanwhile, phone-calls to the Skinhead-hotline leveled assassination
threats, such as "we gonna kill you, you [deleted] [deleted]," but
there has been no Bush-Administration response. Shortly after the
Gartrell-arrest, a poster over "YouTube", nicknamed "PogoPirat",
posted on the Skinhead-channel that he was going to "ram a bullet
down your neck." Skinheads kept the message up, however,
to spotlight the "double-standard" of news-media-reporting and
government-response. "They're trying to acquaint rightists to crime
and free-speech to illegality. It's bogus," said Barrett.
http://www.skinheadz.com/docs/instruct/2008/082601.html
Copyright 2008 Skinheadz
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