LOCKHART, Texas -- The U.S. Attorney’s Office West District of Texas on Wednesday announced a man accused of harassing victims of the Sutherland Springs church shooting has been arrested.
- Authorities said Robert Ussery harassed Sutherland Springs shooting victims on March 5
- A federal complaint states Ussery was a felon in possession of a firearm
- Ussery was convicted on vehicle burglary charges in 1984
Federal and state authorities took 54-year-old Robert Ussery into custody in Lockhart, Texas, on Wednesday.
A federal complaint alleges Ussery, who is also known as "Side Thorn," was in possession of a gun after being convicted of a felony.
The complaint further states that Ussery, along with his girlfriend, Jodi Mann, known as “Conspiracy Granny,” entered the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs on March 5 and verbally harassed church members. The church was the scene of a mass shooting on Nov. 5, 2017.
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Authorities stated the pair claimed the shooting was a hoax, that no one died, and that “the people” will hang a member of the church for perpetrating the hoax. According to an arrest affidavit, Ussery also threated to urinate on the church's pastor.
Ussery and his girlfriend documented the harassment on video.
The office said Ussery’s criminal history includes a 1984 conviction for burglary of a vehicle in Brazoria County. He served a four-year prison sentence on that conviction.
If convicted, Ussery faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.