Missouri Man Charged With Terrorism Threats For Coughing, Scrawling 'COVID-19' On Store Coolers

A man from Cuba, Missouri, is facing serious terrorism charges after authorities arrested him for intentionally coughing at a dollar store and writing "COVID-19" on the food coolers.

The police arrested John Swaller, 33, on Tuesday, after Dollar Tree store employees called to report his disturbing behavior. Witnesses said that the employees asked him to stop what he was doing, but he continued to cough as he left the premises.

Court documents also stated that Swaller placed his right hand down his pants and then rubbed the cooler door handle with it. The police searched for Swaller and was immediately taken into custody.

Swaller is now in jail with a $25,000 bond for second-degree terrorist threat, a state felony in Missouri. If convicted, he may be in prison for four years and further fined for $10,000.

His father, who refused to be identified, denied that he is COVID-19 positive. Swaller has prior convictions for theft and burglary and was arrested in January at the Crawford County for drug possession.

The Dollar Tree store has temporarily shut down for deep cleaning and sanitizing.

"I feel that it worries a lot of the residents of Cuba,” Cuba Police Chief Doug Shelton said. “It has angered a lot of people."

Though the police could not yet confirm if Swaller is indeed positive for the coronavirus, the arresting officers were wearing protective gear when he was taken into custody.

Last week, another man was also charged with second-degree terrorist threat in Missouri after he was caught on video licking products at Walmart. Cody Lee Pfister, 26, was arrested in Warren County, some 70 miles off Cuba, Missouri.

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen of the U.S. Justice Department released a guidance memorandum for all law enforcement agencies regarding deliberate COVID-19 infections.

"Because coronavirus appears to meet the statutory definition of a ‘biological agent’ such acts potentially could implicate the Nation’s terrorism-related statutes," Rosen wrote. "Threats or attempts to use COVID-19 as a weapon against Americans will not be tolerated."

As of April 2, Missouri has 1,843 coronavirus cases with 19 deaths. Over 21,000 patients have been tested at different laboratories.