|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Potential presidential assassination foiled in Fairfax
A man in possession of a Republic of China passport and an AK-47 was arrested in a Fairfax hotel Sept. 30 for sending threatening messages to President George W. Bush and former Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
According to an Oct. 5 search warrant affidavit filed in Fairfax Circuit Court, the United States Secret Service contacted Fairfax police on Sept. 30 after tracking a man named Charn-Chen DAI to an Extended Stay America hotel on Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax. Both agencies questioned DAI at that time.
According to court documents, DAI had been submitting both "written and electronic data" to Bush and Gates for several years.
A 13-page document addressed to President Bush was found in DAI's possession.
The document detailed a plot alleged by DAI that a conspiracy of persons referred to as the MIO (Malicious International Organization) was actively plotting to cause DAI to commit a massacre that would end with his own death.
The document had originally been addressed to Gates and contained at least 23 separate references to "massacres" and included specific statements such as "forcing me to kill a lot of innocent people" and "get a big gun to kill."
Also found in DAI's possession was a brand new AK-47 assault rifle still in its factory box.
During the course of his interview with Secret Service and police agents, DAI admitted that he was still "suffering" and stated that President Bush and Gates were responsible for his financial hardship. He had requested the amount of $20 million from Gates to "continue his efforts against the MIO and not have to commit a massacre."
Records reveal that DAI first rented the Fairfax hotel room on June 10, 2008, and that he has been the sole registered occupant since that date, paying $6,700 for use of the room until Oct. 5.
A search of DAI's room on Oct. 6--the same day that President Bush delivered an economic speech in Chantilly--revealed a Republic of China passport, a pack of documents regarding a criminal case in Singapore and several documents written in Chinese.
Asked if DAI was a Chinese national, a spokesman for the United States Secret Service told The Times that the agency does not comment on protective services cases.
"We're working in conjunction with the Secret Service on this but we are the lead on this case," said Don Gotthardt of the Fairfax County Police.
Gotthardt told The Times that DAI was being held in Virginia for mental evaluation, but would not comment further on the case. The search warrant affidavit says that DAI was charged with violation of Virginia Code 18.2-59, which makes it unlawful for persons to threaten injury for the purpose of extortion.
Calls made to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., were not immediately returned.
You must be logged in to post a comment.