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AMERICAS 
Threats to Obama spark probe
Thursday, 28 August, 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
A man whose racist threats against Barack Obama prompted a US federal assassination investigation is scheduled to be formally charged on state drug and weapons offences.
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Tharin Gartrell is due in Arapaho County Court at 11.30am local time on Thursday (0130 AEST Friday).
Authorities say police found scoped rifles, wigs, fake IDs and a bulletproof vest in the 28-year-old's rented truck after he was pulled over in the Denver area last weekend, ahead of the Democratic National Convention there.
The resulting investigation led to the arrest of Gartrell and two other men who authorities say talked about killing Obama.
The US Attorney's Office later said Gartrell and the other men were drug users making racists threats and had no firm assassination plot, and no capacity to carry out any attack.
Source: AAP
