The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published March 25, 2015

Man charged with threatening to murder Obama

MORGAN COUNTY – A Stover man has found himself in major hot water last week when he was charged with threatening to assassinate President Barack Obama.

Cameron James Stout, 24, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo.

Stout, who was arrested and had an initial court appearance last week, remains in federal custody.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Stout threatened on several occasions to shoot and kill Obama.

A confidential informant approached a Morgan County Sheriff’s deputy on Friday, March 13, and reported that Stout had solicited him the previous day for a rifle and assistance in his plan to shoot the president in the next few weeks, the affidavit says.

The confidential informant, an alleged former Aryan Nation member, reported that Stout said he was going to kill the president and that he was serious.

According to the informant, Stout said he didn’t have a high-powered rifle and needed to obtain one.

The informant told Stout he could put him in contact with a high-ranking member of the Aryan Nation to assist him in obtaining a rifle and to provide Stout with information which would help him.

The informant said that on Saturday, March 14, Stout again discussed shooting the president while he and the confidential informant worked on four-wheel ATVs.

Stout drew two diagrams of the Washington, D.C., area and his shooting locations that he had identified through research on the Internet, the affidavit says, which he gave to the confidential informant (who turned them over to law enforcement).

According to the affidavit, Stout told the confidential informant that he actually owns a .270-caliber Weatherby rifle with a high-powered scope that he had loaned to another person, but now has the rifle back and plans to use it to commit his crime.

On Monday, March 16, the confidential informant visited Stout’s residence, then met him again later. According to the affidavit, they again discussed Stout’s intention to shoot the president and made arrangements for Stout to meet the confidential informant’s superior in the Aryan Nation.

Stout and the confidential informant met again the morning of March 17, with an undercover law enforcement officer purporting to be the confidential informant’s superior in the Aryan Nation.

According to the affidavit, Stout stated that his plan was to set up at Crown Center in Kansas City, and to shoot the president the next time he comes to Kansas City.

Stout wanted the undercover officer to provide him with transportation to and from Kansas City. Stout allegedly stated that he was a competent shot up to 200 yards.

The undercover officer asked Stout if it was Stout’s plan to shoot the president, according to the affidavit, and Stout replied “yes.” Stout allegedly told the undercover officer that he had done research for his plan on his home computer.

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation and not evidence of guilt.

Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn.

It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.