Amarillo Citizens Behaving Badly: Federal and Terroristic Threats Uncovered

The people who live in the Texas Panhandle are a distinct breed.

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Think about it. The early settlers of this land had to be tough as nails--or nuttier than squirrel poop--to stand on that open prairie and howling wind and think, "Yep, this'll do. This shall be home."

It's all I can come up with to explain how kooky some of us folks living out here can be. Why are on this topic, you may ask? Because it's the only thing that can explain these brave local residents who have one thing in common: guts, glory, and threats against the federal government.

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Yes. Truly. We have a fine few citizens with steel spines that earned them federal time.

Everett Wayne “Rhett” Copelin III

Everett Wayne "Rhett" Copelin III caused quite a stir late last year. Not only did he threaten law enforcement, but he also threatened a bunch of other people.  According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, in August of 2022, Copelin posted multiple threats on a social media site called Gab.

After further review of Copelin's Gab account, the following threats were also found from August 21, 2022 - September 25, 2022

•  Allegedly threatened to kill young black men in relationships with white women.
• Allegedly threatened to “blow up” IRS agents.
• Allegedly threatened to shoot police officers.
• Allegedly claimed he would “go down to the border … and start shooting invaders,” and allegedly added that he would “blow the FEDS away too.”
• Allegedly threatened to kill Jews in the government and law enforcement.
• Allegedly threatened to shoot Mexicans, who he felt “shouldn’t even be here.”
• Allegedly threatened to hang supporters of a Texas gubernatorial candidate.

Copelin was charged with interstate threats and threatening a federal officer.  He was arrested on September 29, 2022.  During the arrest, federal agents found a 9mm pistol and three loaded magazines in Copelin's vehicle.

Christopher Stephen Brown & Rebekah Jones

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022,  Christopher Brown pleaded guilty to making interstate threatening communications. Brown was charged on December 6, 2021, after he threatened to execute three prominent Jewish rabbis, and was arrested on Wednesday, December 8, 2021. As federal agents took him into custody, his girlfriend Rebekah Jones aimed a firearm at an agent. She also was promptly placed under arrest.

According to U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, Brown admitted to threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization in New York City, that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust.  In the calls Brown stated his name was “Madrikh Obadiah” and threatened to “execute” several rabbinical leaders.   He also vowed he would tear their eyes and tongues out, blow their heads off, and kill every rabbi he could find.

On January 20, 2023, Brown was sentenced to two years in federal prison and a year of supervised release.  On Thursday, June 8, 2023, Rebekah Jones was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison.

Dillon Alexander Steele

Steele pleaded guilty on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, to sending a letter in April 2014 addressed to U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson.  In the letter, he threatened to blow up a federal courthouse.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, I’m gonna kill everyone at the courthouse, and the federal building, I’m gonna blow everything up sky high, may-be after nothing but death and destruction someone will listen then!”

Steele at the time the letter was sent, was already serving a 35-year sentence for aggravated robbery and aggravated assault.

He was sentenced to an additional 6 1/2 years in federal prison on January 15, 2016.

Larry Boyd Wren, II

Wren pled guilty to one count of mailing a threatening communication on February 1, 2013. In June 2012 while incarcerated in the Brown County Jail, Wren sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings.  In the letter, he made a threatening comment.

In continued research, there isn't any documentation on his sentence for this crime.  He was facing 10 years and a $250,000 fine.   However, according to the TDCJ Wren was denied parole in June 2022, and was up for parole in June 2023, but information has not been updated on whether he was denied.

Peter J. Madrid III

Madrid, an Engineer for the Bureau of Land Management at the time, was arrested for assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.   According to the FBI Dallas Division, in June and July 2012,  Madrid threatened to assault and murder another BLM employee with the intent to retaliate against him for the performance of his official duties.

On October 16, 2012, Madrid pleaded guilty to one count of making a threat against a federal employee.   Madrid was sentenced to 3 years probation on Tuesday, February 5, 2013.

Shawn Ryan Summers

Although he technically doesn't live in Amarillo, but in Perryton, it is close enough to include this craziness.

Summers made a threat against President Joe Biden on his social media, where he threatened to slit the President's throat and hang his corpse from the Statue of Liberty.

After making those threats, he also threatened a Secret Service agent when the agent came to Summer's house.   Brown allegedly told the agent that the next time they show up he will invoke his right to bear arms.  Summers admitted to the Secret Service that he did make threats toward the President.

He also made a threat against the Secret Service who stopped by his house, mentioning that the next time they show up, he will invoke his right to bear arms. Yeah, can't do that either.

On August 11, 2022, Summers was officially indicted on charges of Threats Against the President as well as Transmitting Threats in Interstate Commerce.