FAYETTEVILLE -- A woman who police said threatened a person online following a verbal altercation at a Prairie Grove restaurant has been indicted on federal charges.
Daphne Ann Crawford, 29, was indicted by a federal grand jury, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court. The indictment charges Crawford used the Internet to transmit a message May 24 threatening to injure another person with a firearm. Use of the Internet is considered interstate commerce.
Legal Lingo
Grand Jury
An impartial panel of citizens who must determine whether reasonable cause or probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed exists. A grand jury’s purpose is to investigate alleged crimes, examine evidence, and issue indictments if they believe that there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed. The grand jury acts as a check on the prosecutorial power of the state.
Source: uslegal.com
The verbal altercation between Crawford, her husband and staff happened at Mel's Diner. A customer posted a comment on Facebook about the incident.
Crawford responded online and said her husband would shoot the customer and his or her family, according to court documents. Crawford sent the person a photo of her husband dressed in Middle Eastern attire holding an assault rifle. Both Crawfords claim they are Muslim converts.
The indictment was filed June 22. Crawford was arraigned Tuesday morning.
Crawford had an initial court appearance June 21 and was ordered detained by a federal magistrate. She was appointed a lawyer from the federal public defender's office.
Crawford, also known as Daphne Ridenour and Umm Ammara Khalid, is being held at the Washington County jail.
Daphne and Alan Lewis Crawford Jr. -- both of whom list 98835 S. 4750 Road, Muldrow, Okla. as their address -- were arrested early June 18 by Fayetteville police and the FBI in connection with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to a preliminary arrest report.
Officers found three AR-15 assault rifles, a 12-gauge shotgun, six handguns and roughly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, including 721 rounds for the assault rifles, in the Crawford's room at Value Place motel, according to the report.
The search also found clonazepam pills and THC wax, the report said. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana. Clonazepam is used as an anti-anxiety medicine.
Daphne Crawford also was arrested on a charge of first-degree terroristic threatening.
Alan Crawford, 28, is being held at the jail with no bond set and a federal hold. Alan Crawford also is known as Omar Usman Khalid.
According to authorities, the couple has ties to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maryland and North Africa and are considered to be a flight risk and a danger to the public.
In December, the Crawfords were escorted out of Central Mall in Fort Smith after being accused of videotaping entrances. They weren't arrested or charged with a crime. The Crawfords claimed they were being targeted because of their religion.
Alan Crawford is also accused of threatening a car salesman in Fort Smith.
The Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office in Oklahoma, along with the FBI, searched the Crawfords' home in Nicut, Okla., on June 17 and said they found 14 firearms and ammunition.
NW News on 06/29/2016