Springfield man indicted for making a bomb threat to Mount Vernon Veterans Affairs Clinic

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Springfield man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for making a bomb threat at the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Mount Vernon..

Richard Leslie Turner III, 48, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Turner on July 19, 2018.

The federal indictment alleges that Turner threatened on July 13, 2018, to blow up the Community Based Outpatient Clinic located at 600 N. Main St. in Mount Vernon.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Turner arrived at the clinic on July 13, 2018, for an appointment but was told the appointment had been changed. Turner became angry and left the clinic, the affidavit says, then shortly afterward another patient informed a staff member that Turner was in the parking lot making statements about obtaining explosives and blowing up the clinic. When Turner was contacted by authorities about making the threats, he allegedly became angry and stated that he really intended to blow up the clinic because the police had called him.

On July 17, 2018, Turner allegedly called the clinic and told a staff member that he intended to travel to the clinic and kill him.

The charge contained in this indictment is an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI, the Mount Vernon, Mo., Police Department, the Veteran’s Affairs Police Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.