Aug 26, 2008 9:31 pm US/Eastern
Police: Suspects Posed No 'True Threat' To Obama
DENVER (CBS) ―
Authorities say three men who triggered an assassination investigation after their arrests in the Denver area did not pose a "true threat" to Barack Obama at this week's Democratic National Convention.
U.S. Attorney Troy Eid describes the men as "meth heads" who weren't capable of such an attack.
The investigation was triggered after police in the Denver suburb of Aurora stopped a truck that was swerving erratically early Sunday.
Police say they found two high-powered rifles, two wigs, camouflage clothing, a bulletproof vest and two walkie-talkies in the truck. They say they also found three IDs in other people's names and what they believe to be methamphetamine.
One of those suspects spoke exclusively to CBS Station KCNC-TV's investigative reporter Brian Maass from inside the Denver City Jail late Monday night and said his friends had discussed killing Obama.
"So your friends were saying threatening things about Obama?" Maass asked.
"Yeah," Nathan Johnson replied.
"It sounded like they didn't want him to be president?"
"Yeah," Johnson said.
Maass reported earlier Monday that one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle ... sighted at 750 yards."
Law enforcement sources told Maass that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."
The story began emerging Sunday morning when Aurora police arrested Tharin Gartrell, 28. He was driving a rented pickup truck in an erratic manner, according to sources.
Sources told KCNC-TV that police found two high-powered, scoped rifles in the car along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, wigs, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licenses in the names of other people and 44 grams of methamphetamine. One of the rifles is listed as stolen from Kansas.
Aurora police alerted federal officials because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention, Aurora police Det. Marcus Dudley said.
"Clearly we feel that there are federal implications -- otherwise we would not have notified those agencies," Dudley said Monday night. "The weapons clearly would cause great concern."
Subsequently authorities went to the Cherry Creek Hotel in Glendale to contact an associate of Gartrell's. But that man, identified as Shawn Robert Adolph, 33, who was wanted on numerous warrants, jumped out of a sixth floor hotel window. Law enforcement sources say Adolph broke an ankle in the fall and was captured moments later. Sources say he had a handcuff ring and was wearing a swastika, and is thought to have ties to white supremacist organizations.
Nathan Johnson, 32, an associate of Gartrell and Adolph, was also arrested Sunday morning. He told authorities that the two men had "planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech."
"He don't belong in political office. Blacks don't belong in political office. He ought to be shot," Johnson told Maass.
"Do you think they were really plotting to kill Obama?" Maass asked.
"I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no," he said.
Johnson's girlfriend Natasha Gromek is also under arrest on drug charges.
The Secret Service, FBI, ATF and the joint terrorism task force are all investigating the alleged plot. Dudley didn't say what tied the men together but said more arrests were possible.
Officials with the U.S. Attorney's office in Denver said they do not believe there is a credible threat to Obama or the convention.
"It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the case was under investigation.
"We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," Eid said in a prepared statement.
Gartrell, who has no known address, was being held at the Arapahoe County jail on $50,000 bail on drug and weapons charges. The jail said he was due in court Thursday.
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