AG Nessel threatened, says FBI confirmed she was ‘target’

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel revealed on social media she was a “target” of a “heavily armed defendant,” and an arrest was made of a Tipton man accused of threatening to harm Jewish members of the Michigan government.

The FBI has confirmed I was a target of the heavily armed defendant in this matter. It is my sincere hope that the federal authorities take this offense just as seriously as my Hate Crimes &
Domestic Terrorism Unit takes plots to murder elected officials. https://t.co/RsUY5xMrxx
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) March 2, 2023

Jack Eugene Carpenter III, was arrested according to the FBI Special Agent’s affidavit for charges connected to the threats.

According to the affidavit, On Feb. 18, around 12:45 a.m., the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) provided the Detroit FBI office with information concerning threats to kill Jewish government officials in Michigan by Twitter user TemperedReason.

Screenshots of comments made by TemperedReason on Feb. 17, were provided and stated “Within the next 48 hours I will be back in Michigan. Whether I have to sell more silver or whether my mother, who participated in these acts against me, sends money to get back there after confessing her role to me.” and “I’m heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is Jewish in the Michigan govt if they don’t leave, or confess, and now that kind of problem. Because I can Legally do that, right?”

Carpenter was being investigated for the theft of a Smith & Wesson handgun by Michigan State Police and spoke to his mother who told the trooper her son was in Texas but requested money from her to make a trip back to Michigan, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit said his mother shared a screenshot of a post from Carpenter on the morning of Feb. 18 that read “I’ll be coming back to Michigan, still driving with expired plates. You may want to let everyone know, and Wayne County sheriff as well, any attempt to subdue me will be met with deadly force in self-defense.”

Carpenter’s mother also shared that he “has three handguns, a 12 gauge shotgun, and two hunting rifles, one of which is an MIA, military-style weapon”, according to the affidavit.

Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.