A 51-year-old Illinois man who allegedly threatened to kill President Barack Obama during an eight-hour standoff with federal authorities last September was convicted Wednesday of making a false threat to detonate an explosive device and influencing a federal officer by threat.
The FBI said in a statement that Roman Conaway will face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release on the first charge and up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years supervised release on the second charge.
Conaway’s trial was previously delayed so that he could undergo a mental health evaluation. A lawyer later said he was sane enough to stand trial.
During the standoff in September, Conaway allegedly claimed his belt and three storage containers on his property were packed with explosives. The standoff apparently began when a county court barred him from contact with his grandchildren and Conaway allegedly called a local mosque.
The FBI said that “agents of the FBI and United States Secret Service went to Conaway’s home to investigate allegations that he had threatened to kill the president and threatened to burn a Quran.”
Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Marshals Service, TPM obtained this mugshot of Conaway:
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