SAN ANTONIO — Christopher Charles Perez, 39, was arrested Tuesday afternoon after officials with the FBI say he falsely claimed to have paid someone to spread the coronavirus at grocery stores in San Antonio.
According to an official with the Department of Justice, Perez, a San Antonio resident, was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. 1038, which criminalizes false information and hoaxes related to weapons of mass destruction.
Court documents state that Perez allegedly posted a threat on Facebook in which he claimed to have paid someone to spread coronavirus at grocery stores in the San Antonio area because "he was trying to deter people from visiting the stores," allegedly to prevent the spread of the virus.
A screenshot of the post was sent in via an online tip.
Investigators clarified that the threat was false.
Perez faces up to fives years in federal prison if convicted.
