Arkansas Man Arrested in Connection with Explosive Device Left at Polling Place in Carroll County, Arkansas

Fort Smith — U.S. Attorney Deborah Groom of the Western District of Arkansas announced today that members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mark Krause, a 40-year-old Arkansas man, on a criminal complaint charging him with Attempted Use of Force Against Those Engaged in Federally Protected Activities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 245(b)(1)(A) and Possession of a Firearm, Namely a Destructive Device, not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5861(d) and 5871 in connection with an explosive device found at a polling place in Osage, Arkansas, in June 2010. Mark Krause was located and arrested this morning without incident in Seattle, Washington. He made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington this afternoon and was ordered detained and returned to Arkansas for further proceedings.

Valerie Parlave, Special Agent in Charge for the Little Rock Field Office of the FBI stated, ’“The FBI would like to thank those members of the public and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office who were alert and vigilant back in June 2010 in initially reporting and responding to the incident at the polling site. The FBI relies upon the vigilant efforts of the public and local law enforcement to help protect the American people. The FBI would also like to recognize the cooperation and professionalism of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Bentonville Police Department Bomb Squad, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in this investigation”.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.