Federal prosecutors have filed a motion with the Court to revoke the release of Thomas Robertson, a former Rocky Mount, Virginia police officer arrested in connection with the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol, after they discovered that Robertson had purchased 34 guns on an online gun auction site and that he had built a pipe bomb.
According to the Roanoke Times, Robertson frequently sought to buy guns on the website GunBroker.com, that facilitates private sales of firearms. As a condition of his release after his January arrest, Robertson was ordered to turn over all firearms in his possession and he was barred from possessing any firearms, ammunition or explosives; federal agents found eight guns in his house at the time of his arrest in January
However, between April 12th and May 15th, Robertson had purchased 14 guns, according to federal records. When federal authorities raided his house Wednesday, they found a box labeled “booby trap” and containing a homemade pipe bomb. They also found a loaded M4 rifle, two boxes of ammunition and two “spam cans” of ammo.
Federal agents also searched Tactical Operations Inc., the Federal Firearms License owner in Roanoke, where the owner told them he was holding 34 guns Robertson had bought through various online auctions or gun brokers since his January 19th arrest.
Robertson repeatedly posted anti-government screeds on GunBroker.com, detailing his enjoyment of the January 6th domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol and the need to promote violence to overthrow the government.
“I’ve said before. They are trying to teach us a lesson. They have. But its [sic] definitely not the intended lesson,” says one of Robertson’s posts. “I have learned that if you peacefully protest than you will be arrested, fired, be put on a no fly list, have your name smeared and address released by the FBI so every loon in the US can send you hate mail. I have learned very well that if you dip your toe into the Rubicon… cross it. Cross it hard and violent and play for all the marbles.”