A man who threatened Gov. Andy Beshear and state troopers has been arrested and found to have over a dozen firearms and items used to make grenades in his residence.
Federal and state law enforcement arrested Jeremiah Wooley, 25, of Kevil (in Ballard County in the Jackson Purchase region in far western Kentucky), and charged him with possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device).
Wooley is accused of making threats against Beshear and Kentucky State Police via Facebook on April 29 because he was unhappy with social distancing measures taken to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Wooley made the criminal comments under a video titled “Kentucky Governor sends State Troopers to Church to Enforce Social Distancing,” according to the federal complaint.
One of Wooley’s comments said, “When would it be acceptable to go and kill this guy,” while another falsely claimed, “… people (are) getting arrested for doing drive-thru communion yet a drive-thru at McDonald’s can still operate.”
According to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Russell Coleman, a search warrant of Wooley’s residence revealed 12 firearms, “including a .50-caliber rifle, assault-style firearms, shotguns, and handguns.”
A Kentucky State Police Hazardous Device investigator also discovered 50 MKII pineapple-style hand grenades in a bucket in Wooley’s bedroom. All the grenades, except for one, had been rendered inert by a hole drilled in the hull of the grenade or had been manufactured as novelty items, Coleman said.
One of the grenades, though, had the hull-hole welded shut, and boxes in the same room contained components needed to assemble grenades, including black powder, time fuses, electric matches, ammunition primers, and grenade spoons, safety pins, and spring cock strikers.
Wooley faces 10 years in prison if convicted. He is lodged in the McCracken County Detention Center.
Participating in the investigation were agents from the ATF and FBI as well as Kentucky State Police.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
