Hoaxer conspiracy theorist now in federal custody

googlenews.com

Robert Ussery, a known conspiracy theorist concerning mass shootings, walked onto the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs lawn on March 5 and told Frank Pomeroy, the pastor, that his daughter who was killed in the November massacre never even existed.

Ussery, who refers to himself as “Side Thorn Journalist,” was arrested for trespassing along with Jodi Mann, known as “Conspiracy Granny,” by Wilson County police. Now he faces federal charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm that day.

The federal complaint, unsealed Wednesday, says he was carrying a semi-automatic pistol when he approached Pomeroy.

Ussery is in federal custody and could face up to 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad on Thursday afternoon.

“The truth is out there,” reads the top post on Ussery’s website. He and Mann, his partner, both believe that the Sutherland Springs massacre and a host of other mass shootings are government hoaxes that in fact never occurred.

He “continually yelled and screamed and hollered and told me he was gonna hang me from a tree, and pee on me while I’m hanging,” Pomeroy told the Express-News in March.

During the March confrontation with Pomeroy, Ussery demanded Pomeroy produce his daughter’s birth certificate. Pomeroy said Ussery had been harassing the Sutherland Springs community since November.

Ussery and Mann were eventually arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest. They were released from the Wilson County jail two days later on bail.

Ussery was convicted of stealing a vehicle in Brazoria County in 1984, the federal complaint states.

“I finally took a deep breath when Frank texted me this morning that Side Thorn and his companion were in custody,” said Sherri Pomeroy, the pastor’s wife.

“You don’t realize ‘till it’s over how much time and energy you spend looking over your shoulder when you’ve been through something like this,” she said.