Billings Man Charged For Threats To Tester, Biden

A Billings man was charged last week with threatening to murder Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and President Joe Biden, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court.

Anthony James Cross was indicted on two counts related to the threats on Sept. 14 – threats to injure and murder a U.S. senator and threats against the president, according to a redacted indictment. He made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

Each count carries penalties of several years in prison and thousands in potential fines if Cross is found guilty. He pleaded not guilty to both counts during a court appearance in Billings. The full details of the allegations against Cross remain under seal. But the redacted indictment says that Cross threatened to kill Tester on April 17 in Billings. It says that a week earlier, Cross had stated, “I want to personally kill Joe Biden.”

After last week’s court appearance, Cross was remanded to custody in Yellowstone County pending his next court appearance at the government’s request. The judge in the case set a trial date of Nov. 27 in the case. Cross just weeks ago pleaded not guilty to assault with a weapon in Yellowstone County after he also in April allegedly pointed a pellet gun at a woman walking her dog, the Billings Gazette reported.