NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A North Carolina man accused of making a threatening call to an African American church in Virginia Beach last week was arrested on Friday by federal authorities.
John Malcolm Bareswill was charged with making a telephonic threat to use fire to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual, or unlawfully to damage or destroy a building.
The 63-year-old is a Navy veteran from Catawba, North Carolina, who works and lives in Virginia Beach.
The call to New Hope Baptist Church was placed on the morning of June 7, authorities say, days after a member of the church participated in a local prayer vigil at Mount Trashmore in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
A federal affidavit filed on June 11 shows Bareswill called the church and said “you [racial slur] need to shut up” and threatened to burn down the church. The call was on speakerphone and three young children were present in the room.
Previous coverage: Police investigate threat to burn a black church in Virginia Beach
The affidavit is in support of the FBI criminal complaint and shows that Bareswill was questioned June 9 outside his place of business. It continues that a search of his mobile phone revealed an outgoing call to the church at 395 Old Great Neck Road that corresponded with phone records at the church.
His browser history also shows that he searched the internet for several phrases, including “Who said all whites are racist,” “Black Lives Matter protest held in Virginia,” and “Who organized the protests from mount trashmore to town center.”
Additionally, the document says the suspect searched for at least three African-American religious institutions in the area including New Hope Baptist Church.
On Saturday, WAVY confirmed that Bareswill is the owner of a UPS Store in the Kempsville area. State Corporation Commission documents revealed that John Bareswill owns the UPS Store in the 4800 block of Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach.
In 2015, he was recognized by UPS as a “prime example of a veteran franchisee” in an article titled “Hometown Heroes: The UPS Store Celebrates Veterans Day by Honoring Veteran Franchise Owners.”
UPS Corporate Communications would not confirm the portion of the article that praises Bareswill or that the article has been pulled from the company’s public relations platforms. However, a UPS spokesperson issued a brief statement on Saturday confirming the company’s ties with Bareswill and plans to sever those ties.
“The UPS Store has zero-tolerance for racism, hatred, and bigotry. We are taking swift action to terminate his franchise agreement and he will no longer be associated with The UPS Store,” said Jenny Robinson in a statement issued exclusively to WAVY.
New Hope Baptist Church spokesman Dr. James Allen said he does not know of any connection between Bareswill and the church — which is pastored by E. Ray Cox, Sr.
A few days before the threat was issued, Cox joined other members of the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference in a call for a month-long economic boycott of businesses along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and Town Center.
Allen thanked the FBI and local agencies in their expedient efforts to arrest the suspect.
If convicted, Bareswill faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to officials.
