Getty/US Attorney Adam Bies, also known as Adam Campbell on Gab, is accused of threatening FBI agents, federal prosecutors say.
Adam Bies is a Pennsylvania man accused of threatening to kill FBI agents and employees on the far-right social media site Gab, federal prosecutors say. Bies, a 46-year-old Mercer resident who goes by the pseudonym Adam Kenneth Campbell on Gab, was angry after the FBI served a search warrant on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Heavy on August 15, 2022.
Bies was charged by U.S. Attorney for the District of Western Pennsylvania Cindy Chung with influencing, impeding or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers, court records show. His arrest was first reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was scheduled to make his first court appearence in Pittsburgh on August 15, records show.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint against Bies, the FBI uncovered his real name on August 11 from Gab. The website disclosed subscriber information for the Adam Kenneth Campbell account, including an IP address that agents traced to Bies’ home in Mercer. The FBI wrote in the complaint that Bies said in a chat on Gab, “I use a fake name for my photography and Gab so that corporate Murica’ can’t google me out of a job.” The FBI agent wrote, “Based on my background and experience, I believe BIES was using the ‘Adam Campbell’ alias as a means of thwarting law enforcement as it related to his violent statements.”
Here’s what you need to know about Adam Bies, aka Adam Campbell:
1. Adam Bies Wrote on Gab, ‘I Sincerely Believe That if You Work for the FBI, Then You Deserve to DIE’
GabA post by Adam Bies on Gab.
According to the affidavit, Bies is accused making threats toward FBI agents, employees and family members in the days after the search of Trump’s Florida home. The FBI received a tip about Bies on August 11, according to the complaint.
The tip pointed investigators toward a Gab account under the name “Blank Focus,” who “posted threats toward the FBI and law enforcement,” including a post saying, “My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop,” according to the affidavit.
The FBI agent investigating the threat said in the affidavit that Bies appeared to compare the FBI to the Nazi SS and the Soviet KGB in an August 11 post saying, “I’ll shoot an SS officer in the head just as quick as I’d shoot a KGB officer in the head. Keep that in mind. There are plenty of other letters in the alphabet. Police state scum are police state scum. Period.”
Bies also tagged Gab CEO Andrew Torba in multiple posts, stating that he had been warned about his comments toward the FBI. Torba had posted on his own Gab account that Fox News had thrown the social media site under the bus for posts about the FBI that he said were “opinion” and “nowhere near ‘threats.'”
Bies responded, according to the complaint, “Hey a**hole. Why don’t you send them my threats so that they’d at least have something credible to show on Fox News. Just scrub my timeline for the posts you didn’t delete after you threatened to ban me. I sincerely believe that if you work for the FBI, then you deserve to DIE.”
In another August 11 Gab post, the FBI said Bies wrote, “I’m ready for the inevitable. Once you accept reality for what it is instead of what you want or to be, you can move on with your life and get prepared for the inevitable outcome. I already know I’m going to die at the hands of these piece of s*** child molesting law enforcement scumbags. My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop. I will not spend one second of my life in their custody.”
According to the complaint, Bies wrote on Gab on August 10, “Every single piece of s*** who works for the FBI in any capacity, from the director down to the janitor who cleans their f***** toilets deserves to die. You’ve declared war on us and now it’s open season on YOU.”
2. Bies Said on Gab That an Attempted Attack on a Cincinnati FBI Office Was a Sign of Things to Come, Writing ‘I Hope Everyone at the FBI Has Had Time to Say Goodbye to Their Families’
GabA post by Adam Bies on Gab.
On August 12, Bies commented on Gab about the attempted attack on an FBI field office in Cincinnati. He wrote on his account, “I hope everyone at the FBI has had time to say goodbye to their families. This is going to be a daily occurrence from now on. The war is FINALLY underway. However, why the f*** did this moron use a NAIL GUN when he had a f***** rifle?”
In that incident, a 42-year-old Ohio man, Ricky Shiffer, attempted to breach the FBI office while armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He posted on Trump’s social media site, Truth Social, that he tried to use the nail gun to break through bulletproof glass, but fled after that failed. He was shot and killed by police during a standoff, according to authorities.
Shiffer was also upset about the FBI searching Trump’s home, according to his social media posts. According to ABC News, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have issued an internal bulletin warning about an increase in threats in the wake of the search.
“Since the search, the FBI and DHS have observed an increase in violent threats posted on social media against federal officials and facilities, including a threat to place a so-called dirty bomb in front of FBI Headquarters and issuing general calls for ‘civil war’ and ‘armed rebellion,'” the bulletin said, according to ABC News.
3. Bies Said He ‘Threw Away’ His 25-Year Career in Software & Marketing Because He Won’t Get the COVID Vaccine
GabAdam Bies’ Gab profile.
Bies’ Gab account, which has been taken down by the “free speech” and “individual liberty” social media platform, was filled with far-right conspiracy theories and screeds against Democrats, the IRS, government and public health officials and Republicans he disagrees with or doesn’t see as being tough enough.
Many recent posts mentioned Republican claims that recent legislation passed by Democrats would lead to the IRS hiring thousands of armed agents to carry out audits. Politifact has debunked those claims. Bies also believed the 2020 election had been stolen.
In another post, Bies wrote that he “lost over 100 followers” after posting about the FBI. He wrote, ““Good riddance assholes. Go hang out where you belong, with the f***** Chamber of Commerce Mitch McConnell child molesting RINO scumbags instead. Hopefully YOUR kids will be on the menu next at whatever new hellhole has replaced Epstein Island.”
In his now-deleted “about” section on Gab, Bies wrote, “I threw away my 25-year career in software and marketing after refusing the vaccine, in order to pursue a career as an internet troll funded by my own art.”
Bies wrote in another post, “I will never treat you scumbag democrats with respect, or be friends with you in any way for the rest of my life. I cannot wait to see all of you stupid pieces of s*** drop dead from your vaccine side effects.”
4. Bies Does Not Appear to Have a Criminal Record in Pennsylvania Other Than Speeding Tickets
Bies, a father of two children and an art school grad, does not appear to have a criminal record in Pennsylvania, other than two speeding tickets, according to a public records search. Bies has lived in Mercer since since 2016, according to public records. Bies has also lived in Pittsburgh and New York.
On his website, Bies describes himself as a, “UX design leader, marketing ace, adventure photographer, and storyteller from Pittsburgh. … I have been working in the creative business for over 25 years, specializing in everything from traditional graphic design, animation, video and motion graphics, photography, front-end UI engineering, and UX Design. My prime focus for the last 6 years has been serving as a User Experience and Human-Centered Design leader for clients in the fintech and healthcare industries. On my time-off I’m traveling the country, going on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and taking incredible photos to prove it.”
Bies also has a photography website under his Adam Campbell alias. He wrote on that site, “I find out that most people I meet are also sick and tired of today’s politically correct nonsense, but the media wants you to believe that everyone gets offended by everything now. There are plenty of people in this world who thrive in the new ‘Cancel Culture.’ They believe in freedom of speech until someone disagrees with their view. The cancel button gets pressed for anyone who dissents.”
5. Bies Faces Up to 10 Years in Federal Prison if Convicted of the Charge
Bies faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charge of influencing, impeding or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers, according to federal law. Online jail records show Bies was taken into custody on August 13. He was being held at the Butler County Prison, records show.
U.S. Attorney Chung’s office has not commented about Bies’ arrest and it was not immediately clear if he has hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf. This article will be updated with more information when it is available.
According to CNN, the FBI is investigating an “unprecedented” number of threats against federal law enforcement and Attorney General Merrick Garland after the Mar-a-Lago search. Threats have also been made against Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the search warrant, according to CNN.