Las Cruces man federally charged in bomb threat against former employer

Federal authorities have charged a former Mesilla Valley emergency dispatcher for allegedly making bomb threats over Facebook against the dispatch center and threatening ex-coworkers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Mexico announced.

Jason Rivera is in custody, awaiting a detention hearing on Tuesday. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

On April 25, Rivera, 53, of Las Cruces, made a bomb threat against the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority and throughout the month repeatedly threatened former coworkers in violent, expletive-laden Facebook posts, according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

Rivera’s threat interrupted emergency services at the Doña Ana County Government Center, which was locked down and checked for explosives. No explosives were found.

Rivera worked as an emergency dispatcher at the center beginning in 2009 and was later promoted to be a coordinator. In September 2020, Rivera quit and staff were notified that, due to “erratic behavior,” Rivera wasn’t allowed in the building.

The message was accidentally sent to Rivera, a staff member told the FBI. Four years later, threatening posts began popping up on Rivera’s Facebook page, according to the complaint, and escalated in intensity until the bomb threat.

Rivera made the threats from his personal Facebook account under his legal name and the FBI connected the IP address of the posts to his residence. The FBI also reported in the complaint that Rivera had registered a website under the address “killdonaanacounty.org.”

Rivera made threats against at least eight former coworkers and some of his coworkers’ family members, according to the complaint.

In one post, he said hitmen were “currently parked outside” of his ex-coworker’s home, according to the complaint. Rivera allegedly continued posting until he was taken into custody by deputies from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m told cops are outside my house, they have a warrant for me talking (expletive) to traitors, lol,” reads Rivera’s final message, posted online mere minutes before he was arrested.

The FBI interviewed Rivera’s former coworkers and were told that Rivera had several incidents and behaviors that made staff feel “uncomfortable.”

In one instance, Rivera showed up to a border checkpoint naked to report to agents that his car was lost, prompting staff from the U.S. Border Patrol to call the dispatch center, according to the complaint.

Rivera’s coworker also reported to the FBI that he had a habit of “hovering” near female new hires “in a way that made them feel uncomfortable.”

The Journal reached out to Rivera’s attorney for comment, but he could not be reached.