Ricky Shiffer, suspect in FBI hack, may have posted on Truth Social
The man the government said attempted a security breach at an FBI Ohio office Thursday morning may have posted messages to former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social website, even if he was involved in a hack.
The man, shot dead after a day-long standoff, was identified by the AP news agency and others as Ricky Shiffer. Law enforcement officials said he was believed to have been present at the US Capitol riots on January 6 last year.
A USA TODAY review of the online posts of an account named “Ricky Shiffer” found that the account had recently posted angry reactions to the news of the FBI raid on the Mar- Trump’s a-Lago Florida.
The same account posted during or shortly after the hack at the FBI, appears to describe the man’s efforts.
“Well, I thought I got my way through the bulletproof glass, but I didn’t. If you haven’t heard from me, it’s true that I tried to hack the FBI, and that means I’m off the Internet. The FBI caught me, or they sent the regular police while “
The post seems to have ended in the middle of a sentence.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Thursday that the man was armed attempted to break into the FBI’s visitor screening facility around 9 a.m After the alarm and the response of the special forces, the suspect fled.
The Truth Social post is time-stamped at 9:29 a.m. Eastern time.
Truth Social removed the profile for “@rickywshifferjr” on Thursday afternoon, shortly after media reports began identifying Shiffer.
The social media service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WHAT WE KNOW NOW:The Mar-a-Lago search warrant has become a hot topic of speculation.
Posts in recent days
Two days ago, an account called Shiffer posted angry messages about Monday’s FBI raid of Trump’s home and Mar-a-Lago club.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Shiffer account posted:
“I’m having a hard time getting information, but Viva Frei said the patriots are heading to Palm Beach (where Mar A Lago is.) I recommend you go, and being Florida, I don’t think the federation will split. hands. IF they do, kill them.” (Viva Frei is a right-wing figure on YouTube.)
On the same day, the account posted:
“Everyone, this is it. I hope a weapon call comes from someone better qualified, but if not, here’s your weapon call from me. Leave the job. tomorrow as soon as the gun shop / Army-Navy / pawn shop opens, grab whatever you need to get ready for battle. We can’t tolerate this.”
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The article concludes:
“This time we have to respond with force. If you know of any protests or attacks, please post here.”
The Truth Social account, before it was deactivated Thursday night, said Shiffer was a construction mechanic in Columbus, Ohio, about 100 miles from the FBI Cincinnati office. A search of public records identified 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer of Columbus.
The Truth biography also states that Shiffer was at the US Capitol on January 6 and mentioned Ray Epps, a man at the heart of the January 6 conspiracy theory:
“I tried to explain to Epps that entering the building would only make sense if they approved the fraudulent votes,” the biography reads.
Shiffer has not been charged with involvement in the uprising, according to USA TODAY’s efforts to track those prosecutions, and does not appear in the Justice Department’s index of prosecutions.
A Twitter account named Ricky Shiffer, with a photo of a man that closely resembles the one on Truth Social’s profile, was also suspended on Thursday night.
Threats After the FBI Raid
FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the office Thursday against a new wave of threats following a search of Mar-a-Lago and an armed attempt to break into its Cincinnati office.
“The FBI’s baseless attacks on integrity undermine respect for the rule of law and severely disadvantage the men and women who sacrifice so much,” Wray said in a statement. to protect others.
“Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be of deep concern to all Americans,” said Trump appointee Wray.
WHAT WILL HE DO?:Donald Trump may stop issuing FBI search warrants at Mar-a-Lago.
Separately, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that the Justice Department has filed a motion Unsealing the order that led to the search of Trump’s assets. The former president and his lawyers have until Friday to decide whether to object to the sealing of the search warrant and related documents.
The posts are just one example of thousands of angry messages posted on social media sites about the FBI’s search of Trump property. Kesa White, a researcher who tracks extremists at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Laboratory (PERIL) at American University, says that a number of websites including Truth Social are powerful. more attractive than other sites.
“The story is fluctuating across the board but I think (far right) Gab is the most angry with what happened,” White said.