WASHINGTON — A physician who was arrested at the Trump International Hotel with an assault-style weapon and ammunition was allowed to leave custody Thursday evening — with conditions.
Bryan Moles, 43, will stay at an undisclosed location prior to his federal court hearing Friday. A judge ordered him to stay away from both the Trump hotel and White House. He must also give up all of his guns (over 20) at his home in Pennsylvania.
Moles was arrested early Wednesday after Pennsylvania State Police called D.C. authorities about a tip they’d received about Moles making threats and traveling to D.C. and possibly to the Trump hotel armed with weapons. Moles is being charged with unlawful possession and transportation of a firearm.
Ahead of his trip to D.C., Moles left a voicemail with a friend saying he was traveling to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and that he had a car full of ammunition and other survival supplies, according to charging documents filed Thursday.
Moles left a message for an acquaintance saying he had survival supplies, multiple cellphones and that his car resembled one similar to notable domestic terrorists “going on a camping trip,” according to charging documents.
Moles also said he was a “refugee intent on bringing down big pharmacy and big business medicine.”
In another voicemail to the same friend, Moles said his car “looked like Timothy McVeigh or Eric Rudolph was going on a camping trip.” Timothy McVeigh was convicted for his role in the April
19, 1995, bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City, and Eric Rudolph was convicted of numerous anti-abortion and anti-gay-motivated bombings viewed as acts of domestic terrorism.
When police searched Moles’ vehicle in the hotel parking garage Wednesday, they discovered a Bushmaster AR-15 assault weapon and a Glock handgun, as well as 90 rounds of ammunition. Moles had told the parking valet to “keep his vehicle secure because it contained two firearms,” according to court documents.
The documents say Moles told authorities he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, is a recovering alcoholic and that he’d drained his bank account before he left — withdrawing “around $10,000 in order to live the life he always wanted before it was too late.”
He left $4.19 in his account, corresponding to the date of McVeigh’s bombing of a federal building on April 19, 1995. The blast killed 168 people.
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the tip from a concerned citizen leading to Moles’ arrest helped avert a “potential disaster.”
Moles’ Facebook page is sprinkled with comments and photos indicating support for Trump. Last week, he posted a question: “If you had to choose between a Hilton Hotel and a Trump hotel, which would you choose and why?” Someone replied: “Trump all the way. The dark side wants to disarm the public so they can — just walk through any resistance to their fascist thought police.” Moles liked the comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
