The Pennsylvania man accused of threatening President Donald Trump and Northampton County's district attorney was captured Friday after a three-month manhunt, the U.S. Marshals Service announced.
Shawn Richard Christy was arrested about 4:45 p.m. in Mifflin Township, Richland County, in northern Ohio, by U.S. Marshals and its task force partners from northern Ohio and eastern Pennsylvania, the Marshals Service said.
Local, state and federal authorities had been looking for Christy since June.
Christy, 27, is a native of Maple Shade, New Jersey, and was living in McAdoo, Schuylkill County.
The search for him moved to Ohio this week, after authorities believe a truck he stole in Pennsylvania was found crashed on an Ohio state highway.
Authorities on Friday found Christy hiding between large rocks in a stream bed and say he was arrested with a knife and a .380-caliber handgun, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Nearly 100 local law enforcement officers were searching the Mansfield, Ohio, area since Sept. 17. Authorities believe Christy stole a pickup in the early morning hours of Sept. 16 from Skitco Iron Works in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, and that he crashed the stolen vehicle near the Interstate 71 and Ohio Route 13 interchange near Mansfield that night and was on foot in the region.
Christy was taken to a local hospital for examination and will be held in custody in a local facility, pending his extradition back to Pennsylvania, the Marshals Service said.
"We are most pleased that this case is resolved with Mr. Christy safely in custody and headed back to Pennsylvania to face justice," U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio Pete Elliott said in a statement. "While he may have exhibited a strong determination to avoid capture, I hope he now understands that U.S. Marshals fugitive task forces are resolute and will not stop until they get their man."
U.S. Marshal for the District of Eastern Pennsylvania David B. Webb stated: "On behalf of the District of Eastern Pennsylvania, I want to thank our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who worked so diligently to bring this fugitive case to a successful close. This case represents the true definition of teamwork and dedication to the pursuit of justice. And we want to expressly thank those in the community who have shown such tremendous support of our efforts to bring Mr. Christy in safely."
Christy was wanted for burglary, probation violation and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case, authorities said last month, and had threatened to use "full lethal force on any law enforcement officer that tries to detain me."
He was also wanted on a federal warrant issued June 19 for Facebook threats to John Morganelli, the Northampton County district attorney, saying: "Keep it up Morganelli, I promise I'll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump," the U.S. Marshals Service said.
Morganelli's office prosecuted Christy for threatening to kill an employee at the Berkheimer tax collection office in Bangor in March 2017, and to blow up the building where the woman worked.
Police said as the employee spoke to Christy, he began cursing at her. When the operator said she would not keep listening if he kept cursing, Christy allegedly said, "I'll put a bullet through your f-----g head b---h."
When the operator said she was ending the call, Christy reportedly said, "I'll blow your f-----g building up" before hanging up.
Shawn Richard Christy, 27, of McAdoo, Pennsylvania, is arrested Sept. 21, 2018, by federal, state and local authorities in northern Ohio, following a three-month manhunt related to threats against President Donald Trump and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. (U.S. Marshals Service | For NJ Advance Media)
Christy pleaded guilty to terroristic threats this past April 20 in Northampton County Court and was sentenced by Judge Stephen Baratta to 12 months' probation. Baratta also ordered him to attend and successfully complete an anger management program, court records show.
Morganelli said Friday that Christy's case in Northampton County was one of 4,000 to 5,000 his office handles in a year.
"I never even knew who Mr. Christy was," Morganelli said. "I didn't really understand why I was on his radar at all, but we took it seriously. Me personally, I wasn't that worked up about it, but my family was and my kids and my wife, they were concerned."
The prosecutor, who lives in Bethlehem, said he was kept abreast of the manhunt by city police, the county sheriff's department and the Marshals Service. He said he was glad to hear there were no immediate reports of injuries to Christy or law enforcement in Friday's apprehension.
"I'm thankful that the law enforcement community did take him into custody," Morganelli said. "I do hope that he gets the help that he needs."
During the search for Christy since June, authorities offered a $20,000 reward for information leading directly to his arrest.
Wanted Card Christy1 by Anonymous arnc2g2N on Scribd
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.