A 46-year-old man from Wendell, Wake County, has been federally charged for threatening to kill executives of Advance Auto Parts and their families. U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. announced on Friday that Edward Scott Huffman was arrested on January 2 and faces a federal charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
The threat, which Huffman reportedly sent through the “Contact Us” form on Advance Auto Parts’ website, was made on December 6. According to the arrest warrant, the message claimed Huffman was an expert sniper based in Raleigh and warned the company to improve its app and website by Christmas. If not, Huffman threatened to hunt down and murder the executives and their families.
Connection to Prior Messages
The company’s employees identified similarities between the threatening submission and previous messages sent through Huffman’s Advance Auto Parts (AAP) profile. According to the criminal complaint, screenshots revealed at least five vulgar and angry messages Huffman allegedly sent to the company’s chatbot.
The seriousness of the threat prompted the company’s security director to contact the FBI on the same day. Members of the FBI’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force collaborated with the Wendell Police Department to investigate further. Authorities confirmed that Huffman was known to have access to firearms.
Local and Federal Charges
Initially, Wendell police charged Huffman with 10 counts of communicating threats. However, these charges were dismissed when the federal government took over the case. Huffman was arrested on the federal charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
Admission and Motivation
During an interview with federal investigators, Huffman admitted to sending the threat. He stated that his frustration with Advance Auto Parts’ website motivated him to send the message, believing it would catch the attention of the website administrators.
The criminal complaint also highlighted personal struggles that contributed to Huffman’s anger. He reportedly mentioned feeling excluded from family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, which heightened his emotional distress. While he acknowledged the gravity of his actions and apologized for the threats, Huffman denied being a sniper or owning firearms.
However, during a search of his phone, investigators discovered a photograph of a rifle with a mounted scope. They also found a text message in which Huffman claimed he would have killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson if provided $50,000 and an untraceable rifle.
Legal Complexity
Although Huffman and Advance Auto Parts are based in Wake County, the federal charge stems from the involvement of Salesforce, the company managing customer communications for Advance Auto Parts. Salesforce’s data centers are located in Arizona and Virginia, making the charge applicable under interstate commerce laws.
A Federal Crime with Serious Consequences
U.S. Attorney Easley emphasized the seriousness of threats, whether aimed at individuals in schools or corporate offices. In a statement, he said, “Threats to kill are not how we resolve differences in America, and it’s a federal crime.”
Huffman could face up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
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