U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Former Emergency Dispatcher with Making Terroristic Threats

ALBUQUERQUE – A former emergency dispatcher for the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority (MVRDA), faces charges for making multiple terroristic threats against county facilities and employees via Facebook posts.

Jason Rivera, 53, of Las Cruces, appeared before a federal judge and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been set for Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

According to court records, Rivera's posts on April 11 and April 25, 2024, included alarming claims of explosives at MVRDA and direct threats to specific employees. One post stated there was a bomb at the MVRDA, prompting a lockdown and bomb sweep by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Rivera also registered a website titled "killdonaanacounty.org" and tagged county officials in his threatening messages.

The investigation revealed Rivera used a public Facebook account to make these threats, with an IP address linked to his residence. After being taken into custody on April 25, Rivera acknowledged his account and the threatening posts during an interview with law enforcement.

Rivera worked at MVRDA for eight years until September 2020, during which he exhibited troubling behavior, including harassment of former colleagues and erratic incidents leading to disciplinary actions. Following his resignation, Rivera intensified his threats towards former coworkers and their families.

If convicted of the current charges, Rivera faces up to 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ry Ellison is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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