By St. Louis Public Radio
Benton, Ill – A federal grand jury southern Illinois has indicted a Fairview Heights man on two counts for allegedly threatening area Muslims and threatening to blow up his home.
Roman Conaway, 50, has been charged with one count of falsely threatening to detonate an explosive device and a count of influencing a federal officer by threat. Conaway faces jail time and fines for each count.
According to the indictment, FBI and Secret Service agents went to Conaway's home on Sept. 21 to investigate threats he had allegedly made to an individual associated with a St. Louis-area mosque. Conaway allegedly confronted the agents wearing what appear to be an explosives belt, and threatened to blow up his house and the neighborhood. Conaway had also taken his wife and son hostage.
The explosives belt turned out to be fake. Conaway surrendered after a seven-hour standoff.