Jan. 6 defendant Taylor Taranto, 51, will be held without bond until his trial for allegedly threatening former President Barack Obama near his Washington, D.C., home, a federal magistrate judge ruled, according to the Associated Press. Taranto allegedly threatened NIST and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Dist. 8) in the days leading up to his arrest, according to court documents.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia submitted a memo Tuesday asking the D.C. District Court to issue an order granting its motion that Taranto be held without bond pending his trial because “he is both a danger to the community and a flight risk,” according to documents from the D.C. District Court.
Taranto was arrested by Secret Service agents on June 29 near Obama’s house after allegedly making threats on a livestream. In searching Taranto’s van, law enforcement officers found two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to court records.
During his live stream in Obama’s neighborhood, Taranto allegedly threatened House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.), saying that “Coming at you McCarthy. Can’t stop what’s coming. Nothing can stop what’s coming,” according to court documents.
In a June 28 live stream on his YouTube channel, Taranto allegedly said he was in his vehicle heading toward National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg with a detonator. Taranto allegedly threatened to blow up his self-driving car at that location on the livestream. NIST has a nuclear reactor on the property, according to court documents.
He made several other threats to NIST on his YouTube channel as well, court records said.
Law enforcement believes Taranto was living in his van as they discovered a mattress, clothing and personal items in the vehicle during a June 30 search, according to court documents.
On June 17, a group called Make America Safe Again (MASA) – which advocates for the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrectionists – requested and received a booking for Piney Branch Elementary School’s cafeteria from 8 to 11:30 p.m. that same evening for the purposes of “showing a film,” according to a community letter written by Principal Christine Oberdorf.
Court documents indicate that Taranto livestreamed the MASA meeting at Piney Branch. Records allege that Taranto made several threatening comments regarding Raskin during the livestream, including stating that he chose Piney Branch specifically due to its proximity to Raskin’s home.
“He’s one of the guys that hates January 6 people, or more like Trump supporters,” the court document quotes Taranto saying during the livestream. “I didn’t tell anyone where he lives ’cause I want him all to myself.”
In her community letter, Oberdorf writes that it’s “important to note that public facilities in Montgomery County are made available for permitted use through the Montgomery County Office of the Community Use of Public Facilities or CUPF,” adding that MASA’s booking was made in accordance with “established protocols and procedures for community use.”
Taranto was not affiliated with the permit request submitted by MASA. According to county government regulations, reserving a public school cafeteria after 6 p.m. on a Saturday costs $24 an hour with a three-hour minimum.
Oberdorf said the incident is currently under investigation, and the school district is fully cooperating with law enforcement to “fully understand all the facts.”
“While incidents like these serve as reminders of the dynamic nature of community events and the challenges they may present, please know that we are committed to working in collaboration with our community partners to provide safe and inclusive spaces for all,” she wrote.
