PORT RICHEY — A Pasco County man was taken into custody Monday after he threatened to kill public officials in Iowa, including that state's governor, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.
Richard Gillow, 59, of Port Richey posted on Facebook and sent emails saying he was going to kill Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Attorney General Tom Miller, Guardian Ad Litem Kim Ayotte and an employee of the state's Department of Human Services, deputies said.
Gillow believed all of the people he threatened to kill were involved in the removal of his grandchildren by the Department of Human Services from his daughter's custody. Gillow, a Navy veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, told deputies he had access to weapons and had a group of people heading to Iowa to kill those involved.
Detectives in Pasco were tipped off to the threats by state attorney investigator Ken O'Brien of Polk County, Iowa.
Gillow was arrested on a charge of making written threats to kill. His bail was set at $10,000.