Homeland Security employee caught with gun pleads not guilty

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – A Department of Homeland Security employee has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from entering his agency’s Washington headquarters with a gun, knife, infrared camera, pepper spray and handcuffs.

Northern West Virginia U.S. Attorney spokeswoman Ashley Lough says Jonathan Leigh Wienke pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of illegally building a silencer on an unregistered pistol and having silencer-building equipment.

Charges stem from a search warrant on Wienke’s Martinsburg house.

Wienke was released without bond Wednesday.

Previous filings allege Wienke carried a backpack of weapons into the building on June 9. The documents say the government has probable cause to believe Wienke may have planned violence against senior DHS officials.

This month, the department’s chief security officer told a House Homeland Security subcommittee there’s “no indication” Wienke planned workplace violence.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles