Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Man who threatened president arrested in Laughlin

Sun Coverage

A man who is accused of making death threats against President Barack Obama was arrested Friday night in Laughlin by Metro Police and federal agents.

Daniel James Murray, 36, was arrested about 7 p.m. in a parking lot of a casino in Laughlin, about 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Bearnson said.

At Zion First National Bank in St. George on May 19, Murray asked if the bank was solvent and predicted that citizens would lose their money, court documents said. Eight days later Murray returned to the bank and asked withdraw $12,000, but he did not have proper identification, the Secret Service said. He is then alleged to have said that if he didn't receive the money, someone would die. At that point a bank manager allowed tellers to give him cash in bills smaller than $50.

As a teller counted the money for him, Murray said that "We are on a mission to kill the president of the United States," court documents said.

He returned to the bank and withdrew another $72,000 and closed his account, the court documents from Salt Lake City said.

Murray did not resist authorities who arrested him Friday night in the parking lot of the Riverside Hotel and Casino in Laughlin.

Murray is expected to be in court on Monday.

In the court documents, Murray is said to have eight guns registered to him. He has ties to New York, California, Texas and Utah, in addition to his travels in Nevada.

Murray is originally from upstate New York. The felony charge of threatening the president's life was filed in Salt Lake City.

Former neighbors of Murray said he was known as "Cape Man," in New York, because he walked around the neighborhood in a cape.

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