An Ithaca man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges following an investigation into alleged threats made on social media.
The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 29-year-old Muhammad S. Jones on charges of Making a Terroristic Threat, a Class D felony, and Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
According to investigators, the charges stem from an alleged domestic-related incident and threatening statements allegedly posted on social media.
Authorities allege Jones owns and operates several Facebook pages, including Tompkins County Community Hub, Tompkins County Predator Alert, New York State Predator Alert 2.0, and NYS Corruption Watch. The Sheriff’s Office noted that previous public statements from both the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Ithaca Police Department advised that the pages are not affiliated with New York State, Tompkins County, any law enforcement agency, or any government entity.
Investigators said the terroristic threat charge is related to posts allegedly made on Thursday on the New York State Predator Alert 2.0 Facebook page.
During the investigation, authorities determined that Jones had left Tompkins County at or around the time the alleged threats were made. Potential locations were identified, and law enforcement agencies in Schenectady and Warren counties were notified.
Jones was subsequently taken into custody without incident by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant issued in Tompkins County and transported back to Tompkins County.
He was arraigned Friday morning in Tompkins County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and remanded to the custody of the Sheriff. Bail was set at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.
The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Ithaca Police Department, City of Schenectady Police Department, Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Southern Tier Crime Analysis Center, and the New York State Intelligence Center.
The charges are accusations, and Jones is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
