Tip led police to armed man at D.C. Trump hotel
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania man who sent a text message about traveling to visit the president with a carload of weapons was arrested Wednesday at the Trump International Hotel in Washington after police found an assault-style rifle and handgun in his car, authorities said.
Bryan Moles of Edinboro, Erie County, was taken into custody at the downtown hotel, where he was staying as a guest, police said. At a news conference, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said his department, as well as the Secret Service, received a tip from the Pennsylvania State Police about 12:30 a.m. The tipster reported that Mr. Moles might be traveling to the Trump Hotel in Washington, armed with weapons and ammunition.
Mr. Moles, 43, a former Navy corpsman, checked into the hotel about 1 a.m. Authorities worked with hotel security to locate him and his car.
“I was very concerned about this circumstance,” Chief Newsham said, “and I believe the officers and our federal partners, and in particular the tipster, averted a potential disaster here in our nation’s capital.”
The Secret Service said its agents and local police began investigating a potential threat. But Deputy Special Agent Michael Ball said at Wednesday’s press conference that the Secret Service had determined Mr. Moles “posed no threat” to any of the people the Secret Service protects, which includes presidents and vice presidents and their families, former presidents and visiting foreign dignitaries.
A friend of Mr. Moles’ for 25 years described him as a hard-core supporter of President Donald Trump who grew up in rural Pennsylvania and owns weapons and might have been unaware of the District’s strict gun laws.
A police report said authorities seized a Glock 23 pistol, a Bushmaster assaultstyle rifle and 90 rounds of ammunition from Mr. Moles’ vehicle.
Mr. Moles is being charged with carrying a pistol without a license and having unregistered ammunition. He is expected to make an initial court appearance Thursday.
Chief Newsham declined to comment on what may have motivated Mr. Moles. He said he did not have a license to carry firearms in the District, which has strict gun laws. He did not know whether he was licensed to carry in Pennsylvania.