TULSA, OK – John Jacobs Ahrens, 59, of Tulsa, will spend the next 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to threatening the life of President Joseph Biden and the families of members of Congress. The sentencing, handed down Monday by U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel, underscores a growing pattern of violent rhetoric aimed at elected officials, and the feds are drawing a line.
The threats originated in a series of disturbing emails sent to KOTV Channel 6 in May and June of 2021. On May 10th, Ahrens wrote, demanding money and stating, “They have less than 48 hours to hand over my money or their children will start dying all over the country. I’m going to kill their children using the same law as the Government used to force our families on to the Trail of Tears.” He doubled down later that day, adding, “I will have their children killed. If that doesn’t get the message across. Then I start on their women…”
The escalation continued on June 10th with a direct threat against President Biden. Ahrens emailed, “America is going to get to see a sitting President get his head blown off right in front of them… A kill contract went out on one Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America. I’m the one that put it there and if he doesn’t submit to the law, America is going to watch him die right in front of them.” He demanded a check be delivered to the State of Oklahoma, the Muscogee Nation, and his family, referencing a treaty from 1866.
An executive producer at KOTV flagged the emails, which were forwarded to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center. FBI agents, alongside the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, moved quickly, arresting Ahrens at his Tulsa residence on June 18, 2021. He ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of threat against the President of the United States and two counts of interstate communication with a threat to injure.
U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson emphasized the seriousness of the case. “John Ahrens is the second defendant to appear in the Northern District of Oklahoma in the last week for threatening public officials and their families,” Johnson stated. “Ahrens’ 30 month sentence demonstrates that federal prosecutors and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable individuals who make such violent statements.” The case comes on the heels of another conviction in the district; Keith Eisenberger, 39, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and threatening U.S. Representative Kevin Hern and his family.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick prosecuted the case. The Secret Service, FBI, and OSBI all contributed to the investigation. While officials claim to uphold free speech, the message is clear: crossing the line into direct threats of violence will result in federal prosecution and significant prison time. This case serves as a stark warning to others contemplating similar acts of intimidation.
Related Federal Cases
- John Doe, DDoS Cyber Attacks, California 2022 · Oklahoma
- Sean Krishanmakoto Sharma, DDoS Attacks, California 2015 · Oklahoma
- David Chesley Goodyear, DDoS Attack, OK 2016 · Oklahoma
- Oriyomi Sadiq Aloba, Cyber Phishing Scheme, CA 2024 · Wisconsin
- Michael A. Hagar, Cyberstalking and Interstate Threats, OR 2023 · Oregon
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Press Release
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