Arrest related to enforcement of gun-safety law
An Omak resident has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly threatening to shoot any sheriff who doesn’t comply with the firearm-safety law (I-1639) approved by Washington voters in November.
Jaydin Ledford, age 23, was arrested last Wednesday (Feb. 20) after an investigation by the FBI, the Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force, Okanogan County sheriff’s deputies, and the Omak Police Department.
The threats came to the attention of law enforcement after someone called Okanogan County dispatch about threatening posts on Ledford’s Facebook page, according to Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley.
“It was definitely an appropriate action, particularly with the statement that he wanted to shoot a police officer, and a direct threat to [Spokane Sheriff Ozzie] Knezovich,” said Hawley.
The Washington State Sheriffs Association also notified its members about Ledford’s threats to law enforcement officers, said Hawley.
“These threats were taken very seriously and all Law Enforcement agencies in the area were notified to be cautious of Ledford, especially if they were to need to respond to a call for service involving him or in the area of his residence. We learned early in the investigation that Ledford was a resident in Omak,” said Hawley in a statement about the case.
Ledford was taken into custody without incident and was held in the Okanogan County jail before being transferred to FBI custody, said Hawley. Ledford was expected to be charged with harassment-threats to kill and intimidating a public servant, he said.
Calls in past
Law-enforcement officers have responded to calls regarding Ledford in the past, including threats and a domestic dispute, but he has never been arrested, said Hawley.
In a criminal complaint against Ledford filed in U.S. District Court in Spokane on Feb. 21, FBI special agent Marjoe Jennings quoted four threatening Facebook posts by Ledford. The early-February posts included specific threats to state law-enforcement officers, including “Ozzie Knezovich is gonna get a bullet in his skull” and “I1639 is law. sheriffs that are non-compliant will be shot. by me [sic].”
In other posts, Ledford referenced the Chicago plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging mandatory union dues that was recently decided in his favor by the U.S. Supreme Court. Ledford threatened to kill the man and wrote, “I bet his brain tatstes deliciousss [sic].”
Jennings first became aware of Ledford’s threatening Facebook postings on Feb. 4. Through his investigations, he linked the postings to Ledford’s IP address, his physical address at an apartment in Omak, his phone number and a credit card.
Because Ledford’s postings were on a public Facebook page viewable by anyone in the world, Jennings determined the information falls under the Interstate Communication Act.
Jennings and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ledford’s apartment and seized computers, electronics and his cell phone. These items are still being examined.
In addition to the terrorism task force, Jennings works with the Spokane Safe Street Task Force.
I-1639 was approved by 59 percent of Washington voters in November. It requires safe storage of firearms, restricts the sale of semi-automatic rifles to individuals over 21, and imposes more-comprehensive backgrounds checks, a 10-day waiting period, and proof of firearms training.
Hawley said earlier this month that the law’s requirements for safe storage of a firearm need to be clarified so it can be enforced fairly. He instructed deputies to conduct complete investigations.
Some county sheriffs in the state have said they don’t intend to enforce the firearm-safety law because they believe it violates the Constitution. Others are waiting for the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, firearms dealers, and individuals under the age of 21. The lawsuit asserts that the law violates their right to use firearms for lawful purposes, as well as the commerce clause of the Constitution.