Provo Gunman Threatens IRS, Police, Builds Illegal AR-15

SALT LAKE CITY – Keith Max Pierce, 34, of Provo, Utah, is facing serious federal firearms charges after a disturbing investigation revealed threats of violence and the illegal manufacture of a fully automatic AR-15. Pierce was arrested Wednesday and appeared in federal court Thursday, with prosecutors immediately seeking his detention.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) began investigating Pierce in November after he allegedly made explicit threats to bomb the Internal Revenue Service building in Provo, the Provo Police Department, and a local court building. According to an affidavit, Pierce also boasted about his access to fully automatic weapons – a claim that quickly escalated the investigation.

The feds allege Pierce didn’t just talk the talk. He reportedly agreed to build a fully automatic AR-15 for an FBI undercover agent. In late May, he allegedly delivered the weapon – modified to be fully automatic and with its serial number deliberately obliterated – to the agent. Testing by the ATF confirmed the firearm is a machine gun and is not registered to Pierce in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, making its possession a clear violation of federal law.

Pierce is now charged with three counts: failure to register as a dealer and manufacturer, illegal possession of machine guns, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Each count carries a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday at 9:30 a.m., where prosecutors will argue he should remain jailed pending trial.

This isn’t the only JTTF case making headlines. In Idaho, Fazliddin Kurbanov, 30, of Boise, is set to face trial July 1 on federal terrorism charges. Kurbanov was arrested in May and will eventually be transferred to Utah to face one count of distributing information relating to explosives after the Idaho proceedings conclude. The overlap in cases highlights the ongoing efforts of the JTTF to tackle potential threats across multiple states.

It’s crucial to remember that these are merely allegations at this stage. Pierce, like all defendants in the American justice system, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah is prosecuting the case, with support from the ATF, Federal Protective Services, the Utah Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as they become available.