Police Blotter | Former Kayenta man charged with 26 counts

PHOENIX

James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and formerly of Kayenta, Arizona, was arrested Dec. 14 following a federal grand jury indictment of 26 counts, including Making False Statements, Cyberstalking, and Aggravated Identity Theft.

A detention hearing was held Dec. 20 in Charlotte, North Carolina, at which point he was detained and remanded to the District of Arizona for further proceedings.

McCarty is also pending federal charges in the Central District of California. He is charged with participating in a swatting spree, where he and Kya Christian Nelson allegedly gained access to a dozen security doors nationwide.

According to a Dec. 19 U.S. Department of Justice press release, McCarty and Nelson purportedly placed fake emergency phone calls that prompted police to respond, which they livestream on social media. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted both men. The DOJ statement added that McCarty was living in Kayenta when alleged crimes were committed.

The indictment alleges that McCarty made 13 phone calls from Kayenta to police departments and schools in Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, and Oklahoma between Jan. 17 and June 30, 2021, containing varying threats that he possessed bombs, propane bottles, and tanks and that he would shoot police if they responded.

Two calls threatened Westfield, Indiana, and Vinita, Oklahoma, school shootings. Seven calls involved identity theft because McCarty allegedly used the names of actual individuals purportedly making the phone calls associated with the locations of the false emergencies.

A conviction for False Statements about bombs and other explosives carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, or both.

A conviction for Cyberstalking, False Information, and Hoaxes carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, or both. Each count of Aggravated Identity Theft carries a maximum penalty of a mandatory two yearsÕ consecutive imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

A criminal indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI is investigating this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handles the prosecution.

Authorities seek public’s assistance to identify alleged bank robber

ALBUQUERQUE – The FBI and Albuquerque Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the Long Beard Bandit, who allegedly robbed US Bank Ð 2300 Louisiana Blvd. NE – at approximately 10:52 a.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 3, 2023).

According to an FBI statement, the suspect is in his 40s, Caucasian, standing 6-foot-1, and has a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball cap with a white logo on the front, a white surgical facemask, a blue coat, and blue jeans.

According to the FBI, the suspect presented a demand note to a teller, who handed over an undisclosed amount of money from the bank.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this suspect.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300, or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, anonymously at (505) 843-STOP.

Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years. Using a gun, other dangerous weapons, toy guns, or hoax bomb devices during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years.

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