(Cedar Rapids, IA) -- A Cedar Rapids man's accused of shooting a flare gun at the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids, and threatening a federal prosecutor and other government employees on Facebook. Police say 39-year-old John Edward Miller's flare gun started a fire.
Miller made an initial court appearance Tuesday, December 8th and will be back in federal court in Friday for a detention hearing.
He faces charges of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a United States official, a United States judge, or a federal law enforcement officer; malicious damage to federal property; and interstate communications with the intent to injure.
The case will be prosecuted by Southern District of Iowa Assistant United States Attorney, based on the recusal of the Northern District of Iowa United States Attorney’s Office.