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SALT LAKE CITY -- Federal prosecutors have charged a man with threatening to kill President Barack Obama.
The charging documents, obtained by KSL NewsRadio late Thursday, claim the man told a St. George bank teller he is "on a mission to kill the president of the United States."
According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Daniel James Murray opened an account at a Zions Bank in St. George last month with an $85,000 check, but asked if the bank was "solvent," stating "…with all this mess going on under President Obama with banks and the economy, I'm sure if citizens happened to lose their money, they would rise up and we could see killing and deaths."
Days later, Murray returned to the bank to withdraw more than $12,000 in bills no larger than a $50 bill and in a non-sequential order, the criminal complaint said. A Secret Service agent wrote in an affidavit that when there were problems making the withdrawal, Murray became upset. "Not to be disrespectful, but if I don't get this money, someone is going to die," he is accused of saying.
While his cash was counted, the Secret Service agent wrote that Murray said, "We are 94 million miles from the sun and are in between the sun and moon, and the eagle that flies between them, and it's a giant step for mankind ... I have traveled thousands of miles to be here and know things that are going to happen ... the banking system will fail and people will die ... there will be chaos in the world."
As the teller handed him the cash, the charging documents claim Murray said, "We are on a mission to kill the president of the United States." The next day, Murray cleaned out the bank account and hasn't been seen since.
Murray remains at large and is believed to be driving a 2001 Buick LeSabre with New York license plate ERL 1445. He has ties to Utah, California, New York, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas. The Secret Service affidavit said Murray had several firearms registered to him.
Contacted on Thursday, the U.S. Secret Service declined to comment on the case, but KSL NewsRadio has learned Murray name has been circulated amongst law enforcement across the country.
Murray has been formally charged with threats against the president of the United States. The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah typically does not file such charge unless they believe someone is capable of carrying it out.
E-mail: bwinslow@ksl.com
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