Posted on 05/10/2002 7:34:31 PM PDT by grahm_crackers
Peebles man arrested before Bush visit
Fake uniforms, flight manuals, ammunition found
The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police found flight manuals, books on executive protection, ammunition and police uniforms inside the car of a Peebles man and arrested him in advance of President Bush's visit.
Secret Service agents interviewed Charles Thatcher, 55, in jail to determine if he was a threat to Bush, according to police in suburban Worthington.
Thatcher was being held in the Franklin County jail on $50,000 bond.
Secret Service officials could not be reached to comment on the interview. A phone message was left.
Thatcher was arrested Wednesday after police said they traced harassing phone calls made to the Mason's grand lodge in Columbus from Thatcher's motel room.
Worthington Police Sgt. Jim Mosic said Thatcher was arrested on charges of aggravated menacing by stalking and telephone harassment. The maximum penalty is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each charge.
In Thatcher's car, police found flight training manuals for commercial and private pilots and ammunition loaded into magazines, but no weapons, Mosic said. They also found books on emergency airport disaster plans, microbiology and ATF security operations, and hats embroidered with CIA and NSA insignia.
Mosic said they found police pants and shirts but without police patches.
“It looked like he ordered the uniforms from the same company where we get our uniforms,” Mosic said.
He said he alerted the Secret Service after finding the items.
Mosic said Thatcher, a former Mason, apparently had a dispute with the lodge. “He used a lot of vulgarity but never directly threatened anyone,” Mosic said.
Mosic said Thatcher was arrested in September 2000 on a telephone harassment charge after he made several calls to three generals at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
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