Chippewa County prosecutors have filed felony charges against Joseph Mark Rongstad, accusing him of making online threats that prompted a lockdown of the University of Minnesota campus and nearby school districts.
Rongstad faces two felony counts of threats of violence and one of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The charges stem from concerning Facebook posts on his business page, All Time Curbing and Landscape, containing profanity, conspiracy talk, and threats of violence, leading to a campus lockdown.
Rongstad was taken into custody after a standoff, and a search of his home revealed letters, unidentified pills, and shotgun ammunition.
In an interview, he claimed the goal was to attract the Secret Service’s attention without intent to harm anyone.
Rongstad has a history of criminal offenses and remains in custody on a $1 million bail.
