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Member of Detroit's soccer club fired after arrest for terror threat
One of the employees of the Detroit City Football Club was fired after his arrest in connection with a terror threat investigation. Jarrett Maki allegedly made threats to several out-of-state businesses.
(FOX 2) - Detroit City Football Club has fired one of their staff after he was arrested for making threats of terrorism against several businesses located out of state.
Jarrett Maki was charged with 11 counts of making a terror threat after he and another man were identified by police as the callers behind the alleged threats, which targeted fast food restaurants in Illinois.
Big picture view:
Maki, 25, of Detroit, and Austin Blair, 25, were both taken into custody by East Alton police following an investigation into threats of terror directed at restaurants in Madison County, Illinois.
The businesses include a Taco Bell, McDonald's, Sonic, Casey's, and a Domino's.
According to court documents posted by police, the threats happened in the summer between late July and August. The two men had allegedly told the businesses that a shooting would be happening at the locations during the calls.
Maki was arrested in September before being arraigned in Madison County District Court.
His next court date is Sept. 29.
Dig deeper:
Maki worked with DCFC for years before being fired. Starting off as an intern with the organization, he eventually worked his way up to sports information director.
In a statement posted on social media, DCFC said they originally suspended Maki after learning of his arrest on Sept. 10. He was terminated from the position a day later.
"While it is important to note that the issuance of charges is not proof of guilt, our priority is the well-being of our club, staff, supporters, and participants," read the statement. "We have not been contacted by law enforcement and will continue to monitor the situation closely. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we have no additional comment."
Jarrett Maki (left) and Austin Blair
What they're saying:
FOX 2 asked Todd Perkins, a Detroit-based attorney, about what it means to make terror threats in this era.
"It couldn't be more serious given what we've just experienced in the past 24 hours," he said, referring to the politically-targeted shooting of Charlie Kirk. "It gives some real perspective on how serious these allegations are.
"I hope it's obvious we don't play with violence, we don't play with threatening violence," he added.
The Source: Interviews with an attorney, court documents, and statements from Detroit City FC were cited for this story