A Park Rapids man is behind bars after authorities say he threatened to kill state Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen and warned he would “execute everyone” inside the Minnesota State Capitol if he did not get money he claims he lost during the COVID-19 shutdown. Investigators say the threats, made in a social media post and a separate phone call to a state office, set off a multi-agency response that moved quickly from online monitoring to an armed arrest outside town.
The case began when a Minnesota State Patrol investigator assigned to threat investigations flagged a Facebook post that tagged Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen and demanded repayment, then tipped off Hubbard County investigators. Around the same time, a caller who identified himself as John David Tobias phoned the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and, according to investigators, repeated a threat to travel to the Capitol and kill people there. Those allegations are detailed by Valley News Live.
Hubbard County deputies, backed by the Lakes Area SWAT Team, obtained a search warrant and arrested 58-year-old Tobias at a property just outside Park Rapids on Tuesday evening. Investigators say the search turned up nine firearms and about 40 boxes of ammunition, and that Tobias later acknowledged making both the Facebook post and the phone call. Those details were reported by the Park Rapids Enterprise.
Court proceedings and alleged motive
Tobias was arraigned on Wednesday in Hubbard County court on two felony counts of making terroristic threats. A judge set bail at $300,000 without conditions or $150,000 with conditions, according to court records. Prosecutors allege Tobias demanded roughly $1.4 million he said he lost during the pandemic and used expletive-laced language in both the social media post and the recorded phone call.
The criminal complaint quotes one line of the post as saying, “I want it now or I’m going to do my constitutional duty and kill everyone [sic] of you ...”. The charging documents and timeline of events are outlined by the Star Tribune.
What the charge means
Under Minnesota law, the crime of making terroristic threats covers threatening, directly or indirectly, to commit a crime of violence with the purpose of terrorizing others, or in reckless disregard of causing such terror. The basic statutory penalty is up to five years in prison or a fine up to $10,000, or both. The specific elements prosecutors must prove are spelled out in state law at Minnesota statutes §609.713.
Capitol security and why this matters
Authorities say the arrest comes at a time when lawmakers and law enforcement are already on edge after a recent spate of political violence that has prompted extra security at the State Capitol. This case shows how a single Facebook post and a phone call can quickly move from online bluster to a full-blown threat investigation involving multiple agencies. Broader concerns about safety at the Capitol have been reported by the Star Tribune.
Tobias remains in custody at the Hubbard County Jail and is scheduled to return to court on March 2. Hubbard County officials say the investigation is ongoing and have asked anyone with information that could be relevant to contact law enforcement.
