LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man is accused of threatening employees at a Las Vegas casino and hotel company, including its CEO, after it honored slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.
On Sept. 10, a gunman shot and killed Kirk, 31, during an event at a Utah university. In the aftermath, Station Casinos memorialized Kirk on its marquees with a photo and the message: “In loving memory of Charlie Kirk.”
On Friday, Sept. 12, a Station Casino employee contacted police about a call from a person complaining about the marquee memorials for Kirk.
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“The caller stated that if the memorial was not removed from the marquee, then, ‘We would destroy the sign and take it down for us,’” according to a report the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.
The employee later received a second phone call from the same number, according to the report. During the call, the person said, “Can you tell your boss there to take down that Charlie Kirk image on your sign? If you don’t do that, not only are we going to destroy your sign, we’re going to [expletive] and take out your CEO too.”
A security employee said the marquees honoring Kirk were later “taken down as a result of the calls and other backlash,” according to the report.
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Officers with the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center discovered the number behind the phone calls was registered to an application that allows users to create “burner” numbers.
Investigators later determined the person’s phone was connected to an email account listed to Thomas “TJ” Fedikovich, 26, of Madison, Wisconsin, police said. It was not immediately clear where Fedikovich resides as police also noted the car he was driving at the time of his arrest was registered in California.
On Saturday, police visited a Henderson-area Starbucks location that Fedikovich frequents, they said. Later that day, an employee called police, alerting them that Fedikovich had placed an order.
Henderson police later arrested Fedikovich on charges of coercion with threat of physical force and harassment, records said.
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Fedikovich denied making the threats, police said, adding he deleted his social media accounts as officers attempted to reach him.
During Fedikovich’s probable cause hearing on Sunday, Henderson Justice Court Judge Barbara Schifalacqua set bail at $6,000. Schifalacqua ordered Fedikovich to stay away from Sunset Station specifically and not contact any employees.
Fedikovich posted bond on Wednesday, though he remained jailed as of this article’s publication. It was not clear when he would next appear in court.
Representatives for Station Casinos declined to comment.
