Ill. man who said he had bomb arrested after standoff, accused of threatening Obama, Muslims

Ill. man arrested, accused of threatening Obama

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Federal prosecutors are accusing an Illinois man of threatening President Barack Obama and falsely claiming during a seven-hour standoff that he had an explosive device.

An FBI special agent alleges in the criminal complaint filed Wednesday in East St. Louis that 50-year-old Roman Conaway of Fairview Heights also threatened area Muslims, saying he wanted to start a war between Christians and Muslims.

Federal agents took Conaway into custody early Wednesday after the standoff, in which authorities say he was wearing a belt that had protruding wires and what looked like plastic explosives. It turned out to be children’s molding clay.

Conaway is in custody, pending a court appearance Thursday. Online court records do not show an attorney for him and his home telephone number is unlisted.