A 46-year-old Arizona man has been arrested on federal charges after allegedly threatening mass bombings targeting the White House and other locations in Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Jacob Aaron Hicks of Tucson was arrested Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint with making an interstate threat to injure. He made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday as the investigation into the alleged threats continued.

According to the criminal complaint, Hicks allegedly emailed a Tucson news station on September 23, claiming a bomb attack against the White House and other locations in the nation’s capital was imminent. The station reported the message to law enforcement, allowing investigators to begin tracing its origin.

Authorities subsequently identified Hicks as the alleged sender. Investigators also discovered unsent email drafts in the same account that contained similar threats against the White House and surrounding areas. Those drafts were dated September 23 and addressed to other news organizations, prosecutors said.

The findings suggest that the threats were not limited to the single message received by the Tucson station, although the allegations remain subject to the federal court process.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine emphasized the seriousness of threats involving potential acts of mass violence and credited the news station for alerting authorities.

“We must take threats of violence like this one seriously,” Courchaine said. He also thanked the local news station for referring the message to law enforcement and praised the FBI for responding quickly and professionally.

The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president and safeguarding the White House.

Hicks faces a federal charge related to the alleged interstate threat. The charge was brought through a criminal complaint, meaning the allegations have not yet been established as proven in court.

The case underscores the role of local news organizations in reporting potential threats to law enforcement and the federal response to alleged threats targeting the White House and other sensitive locations in the nation’s capital.