URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A man was charged after officials said he threatened an Indianapolis medical center.
Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said John D. Armstrong, of Indianapolis, was a patient at OSF Hospital in Urbana. Officers were called there because he was making threats against the Roudebush Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Indianapolis. “Armstrong told staff at OSF and the UPD officer that he had a friend who was a veteran and built bombs and that the friend had a bomb ready for Armstrong to pick up when he left the hospital,” said Rietz.
“Armstrong told the officer that he had been in the Navy and was a registered sex offender,” Rietz stated. “He said he had been shuffled between hospitals and was upset with how the VA had dealt with his issues, so his plan was to be a martyr for the other veterans and blow up the hospital.”
Rietz said Armstrong’s criminal history goes back to 1976 in Illinois, Florida and Georgia. In 2001, he was convicted on aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Sangamon County. He also had convictions in Georgia as well as Macon County for failure to register as a sex offender.
Rietz stated Armstrong told the court during arraignment he was guilty and “wanted to take care of this so that the state of Illinois can take care of his medical issues.” He is expected back in court August 3.
Armstrong was charged with one count of making a terrorist threat. His bond was set at $1 million.
