Truth Social tip prompted investigation into man killed in Provo FBI raid

Agents investigate at the residence of Craig Robertson who was shot and killed by FBI agents in Provo on Wednesday. Officials say Robertson posted threatening comments about President Joe Biden hours before the president visited Utah.

Agents investigate at the residence of Craig Robertson who was shot and killed by FBI agents in Provo on Wednesday. Officials say Robertson posted threatening comments about President Joe Biden hours before the president visited Utah. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)


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PROVO — It was Truth Social, the social media company created by Trump Media & Technology Group, that tipped off the FBI to threatening posts made by Craig Robertson, the man killed in an early morning raid in Provo on Wednesday.

In the federal criminal complaint filed Tuesday against Robertson, an FBI agent details a March 19 tip "from a social media company regarding username @winston4eagles posting a threat" to kill New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The tip came through the FBI National Threat Operations Center, according to the complaint. Though the complaint does not name the social media company, referring to it as "Company-1," it does show a screenshot of the threat that depicts several characteristics unique to Truth Social, the social media platform where former President Donald Trump often communicates with the public.

And on Thursday, NBC News reported that it had confirmed through an unnamed senior law enforcement official that Truth Social notified the FBI about the threat.

The post gives a graphic and detailed description of how Robertson said he wanted to harm Bragg, who at the time was overseeing an investigation into Trump.

"Heading to New York to fulfill my dream of iradicating (sic) another of George Soros two-but political hach (sic) DAs. I'll be waiting in the courthouse parking garage with my suppressed Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm to smoke a radical fool prosecutor that should never have been elected," Robertson wrote on March 18, 2023, according to the images in the complaint.

He then wrote a graphic description of shooting Bragg in the forehead and watching him die.

His family, in a statement released Thursday, claims Robertson would never act on the threats.

But the FBI deemed them credible, and the tip resulted in an investigation — the bureau was able to obtain Robertson's phone number, email and home address through the National Threat Operations Center, according to the complaint. On March 19, they confronted him outside of his home.

"I said it was a dream!" Robertson told the FBI agents, according to the complaint. "We're done here! Don't return without a warrant!"

The investigation continued, and Robertson was charged the day before the raid with making interstate threats, making threats against federal law enforcement and making threats against the president.

Details surrounding the raid are still murky, and the FBI has yet to release more information. A neighbor who witnessed the raid told the Deseret News they heard agents yelling, "He has a gun" after a burst of shots, followed by a loud barrage from several different guns.

According to images posted in the complaint, Robertson's account @winston4eagles was banned — the image reads "deleted at 03/18/2023," although it's unclear if that's the exact date the account was disabled. Trump Media & Technology Group has not responded to a request for comment.

But Robertson's Facebook account was up until hours after the shooting Wednesday, replete with dozens of graphic threats against high-profile Democrats. A spokesperson from Meta declined to comment on whether the company had any interaction with the FBI in regards to Robertson.

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Kyle Dunphey, Deseret NewsKyle Dunphey
Kyle Dunphey is a reporter on the Utah InDepth team, covering a mix of topics including politics, the environment and breaking news. A Vermont native, he studied communications at the University of Utah and graduated in 2020. Whether on his skis or his bike, you can find Kyle year-round exploring Utah’s mountains.

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