Washington (CNN) 鈥� Federal prosecutors on Thursday said they plan to file felony charges against with firearms in former President Barack Obama鈥檚 Washington, DC, neighborhood and accused of threatening several politicians.
Taylor Taranto, who had an open warrant for his arrest related to charges stemming from his involvement in the US Capitol riot, was after claiming on an internet livestream the day before that he had a detonator.
Taranto has been in police custody since his arrest, and during a hearing Thursday to determine whether he鈥檒l continue to be detained pending his trial for the riot charges, federal prosecutors said they plan to add federal felony charges to the case.
The prosecutors did not say when exactly they would bring the additional charges. Taranto is currently only facing four misdemeanor charges related to his conduct on January 6, 2021.
Taranto will continue to remain in custody pending a decision on his detention, federal magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ordered Thursday.
Faruqui said he is currently in contact with pretrial services in Washington state, where Taranto is believed to have lived recently, to see if Taranto could be supervised by a third-party custodian instead of being held in detention. Pretrial services informed the judge it could take up to a week to evaluate the case.
Taranto is set to have another detention hearing next Wednesday.
Memo details threats to lawmakers
On Wednesday, prosecutors provided fresh details on Taranto鈥檚 online activity before his arrest and threats he made toward prominent politics in recent weeks.
The government said in a detention memo that Taranto made threats against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin. Earlier in June, Taranto and several others entered an elementary school near Raskin鈥檚 home, with Taranto live-streaming the group 鈥渨alking around the school, entering the gymnasium, and using a projector to display a film related to January 6,鈥� according to the filing.
Taranto stated that he specifically chose the elementary school due to its proximity to Raskin鈥檚 home and that he is targeting Raskin because 鈥渉e鈥檚 one of the guys that hates January 6 people, or more like Trump supporters, and it鈥檚 kind of like sending a shockwave through him because I did nothing wrong and he鈥檚 probably freaking out and saying s*** like, 鈥榃ell he鈥檚 stalking me,鈥欌�� the filing said.
鈥淭aranto further comments, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 tell anyone where he lives 鈥榗ause I want him all to myself,鈥� and 鈥楾hat was Piney Branch Elementary School in Maryland鈥ight next to where Rep. Raskin and his wife live,鈥欌�� the memo said.
On June 28, according to prosecutors, Taranto made 鈥渙minous comments鈥� on video referencing McCarthy, saying: 鈥淐oming at you McCarthy. Can鈥檛 stop what鈥檚 coming. Nothing can stop what鈥檚 coming.鈥�
After seeing those 鈥渢hreatening comments,鈥� law enforcement tried to locate Taranto but weren鈥檛 successful, prosecutors said.
The following day, on June 29, 鈥渇ormer President Donald Trump posted what he claimed was the address of Former President Barack Obama on the social media platform Truth Social,鈥� prosecutors wrote in their memo. 鈥淭aranto used his own Truth Social account to re-post the address. On Telegram, Taranto then stated, 鈥榃e got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta鈥檚 and Obama鈥檚.鈥欌��
鈥淪hortly thereafter, Taranto again began live-streaming from his van on his YouTube channel. This time, Taranto was driving through the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington D.C.,鈥� prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Taranto parked his van and began walking around the neighborhood and that because of the 鈥渞estricted nature of the residential area where Taranto was walking, United States Secret Service uniformed officers began monitoring Taranto almost immediately as soon as he began walking around and filming.鈥�
Secret Service agents approached Taranto, prompting him to flee, according to the filing, but he was apprehended and arrested.
The government told the judge that among the items found in Taranto鈥檚 van were a 鈥淪mith and Wesson M&P Shield鈥� and a 鈥淐eska 9mm CZ Scorpion E3.鈥� They also found 鈥渉undreds of rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition, a steering wheel lock, and a machete,鈥� as well as signs, a mattress and other indications Taranto was living in the van.
This story has been updated with additional details Thursday.
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