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  Teenager’s Social Media Posts First Came To The Attention Of FBI In Feb., 2019 In Anchorage, Alaska  
  Justin Olsen Said Posts Were A Joke, Just For Fun:   August 15, 2019 Edition  
     At Boardman High School, Olsen was a member of the
      tennis team, Quiz Bowl team and was an honor student. He was known as a nice young man, quiet and an achiever.
     
      An 18-year-old 2019 graduate of Boardman High School, who according to police has been accepted at the University of Texas under an ROTC scholarship, was arrested last week by federal agents and Boardman police and charged with aggravated menacing of a law enforcement officer/federal agent and telephone harassment in connection with social media posts in which he is believed to have made comments making light of mass shootings, as well as threatening remarks directed at federal agents.
      Justin Thomas Olsen’s social media posts first came to the attention of the FBI on Feb. 11, 2019, when a complaint was reported to the bureau’s Anchorage, Alaska office. “This complaint showed how an 18-year-old Boardman resident was the moderator of an online chat room and was posting threatening information, including ‘to shoot every federal agent on site’” Officer William Woods said.
      Authorities monitored posts reportedly made by Olsen and on Aug. 6, the case file was reviewed by Lt. Rick Balog, Officer Woods and Assistant Prosecutor Michael McBride, of Boardman Court.
      “Prosecutor McBride agreed in light of the recent mass shootings in the United States, we could not wait to act on this information,” Officer Woods said, adding that counsel directed police to arrest Olsen and obtain a search warrant for computers, cellular devices, hate-related literature and firearms at Olsen’s mother Melanie’s residence at 465 Presidential Ct. That same day, Boardman Court Judge Joseph Houser approved the search warrant.
      On Aug. 7, agents of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force and Boardman police forcibly entered the Presidential Ct. home and no one was there, Officer Woods said, indicating that a neighbor told authorities the teenager had just moved into his father Eric’s residence at 724 Oakridge Dr., where Olsen was found in the driveway and taken into custody without incident.
      According to Officer Woods, Olsen agreed to speak with authorities, admitting he created a ‘Discord...page’ and he did post the comment about shooting federal agents.
      Olsen admitted making several posts, “but all of this was a joke, for fun, and the posts were on his ‘shit account,’” Officer Woods said.
      Police searched Olsen’s car and the Oakridge Dr. residence, and were advised by Prosecutor McBride “to seize any item that would give Olsen the means to carry out any shooting or violent event,” Officer Woods said, noting multiple boxes of firearm ammunition and various firearms were seen in the home.
      Taken during the search were a laptop computer, an Ipad, Iphone and numerous handgun and long guns, Officer Woods said.
      Olsen was lodged in the Mahoning County Jail without bond, pending an initial appearance in court.
      According to Officer Woods, on June 2, Olsen made a post saying he was moving to Austin, Texas, and said he ‘couldn’t wait to start stockpiling weapons.”
      A day later, according to Officer Woods, Olsen posted a screen shot of an AR-15 (rifle) and said he may purchase an AR-15 kit.
      On Aug. 1, the FBI’s Anchorage office reassigned the matter to the agency’s Cleveland office, who then sought assistance from local authorities.
      At Boardman High School, Olsen was a All-AAC member of the tennis team, Quiz Bowl team and was an honor student. He was known as a “nice young man, quiet and an achiever”, The Boardman News was told.
      At his initial hearing last week in Boardman Court, , no plea was accepted on the charge of aggravated menacing. Olsen was ordered held without bond until a preliminary hearing on the charge. Olsen entered a plea of not guilty to telephone harassment, did not sign a waiver of a speedy trial, and was held without bond.
      Olsen faced local charges of aggravated menacing a police officer and telephone harassment filed in Boardman Court. Those charges were dismissed after a federal complaint was filed. Olsen appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday. Preliminary and detention hearings are set for this Friday.
      Olsen used the handle “ArmyOfChrist” as his moniker on iFunny, a website where people can posts memes, photos and statements on a variety of topics. There, he told fellow users that he supported mass shootings and attacks on Planned Parenthood, according to an affidavit of FBI agent Themistocles Tsarnas.
 
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