Man accused of taking Army IDs to stay in custody
Published 9:54 am Tuesday, December 17, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS — An Iraq War veteran accused of stealing identification information of roughly 400 members of his former Army unit so he could make fake IDs for his militia was ordered Monday to remain in federal custody.
Prosecutors say Keith Michael Novak, who’s charged with fraud in connection with identity theft, is a self-described commander of a militia. Court testimony on Monday revealed the investigation into the 25-year-old Novak began after he allegedly talked with an FBI source at Camp Williams in Utah — where he was training for the National Guard — about blowing up a National Security Agency facility.
In addition, FBI Special Agent Christopher Crowe testified, Novak told undercover FBI employees that he had a “target package” on billionaire Warren Buffett. Crowe did not elaborate on why Novak may have been targeting Buffett. An explanation of a “target package” was not disclosed.
An affidavit unsealed last week said Novak threatened violence if arrested, allegedly telling an undercover FBI employee he had “5000 rounds, a thousand of it is in magazines, ready to go.”
Crowe said Novak had a semi-automatic pistol, brass knuckles and a knife on him when he was arrested last week. Crowe said Novak resisted arrest and that the pistol had a loaded magazine, but did not have a round in the chamber. Six unloaded firearms were found in Novak’s apartment.