Feds take over case of man in alleged Obama threat

CENTENNIAL - The case against a Colorado man accused of making racist threats against Barack Obama has been transferred to federal court, but the reason hasn't been explained.

According to the Arapaho County Court docket, Tharin Gartrell was scheduled to be formally charged today with state drug and weapons violations.

Arapahoe County district attorney's spokeswoman Kathleen Walsh says she can't discuss why the case was handed to federal authorities. The U.S. attorney's office hasn't returned a call.

Walsh says Gartrell still hasn't been formally charged but the state charges haven't been dropped.

Authorities say Gartrell and two other men talked about killing Obama. The U.S. attorney's office later said they were drug users making racists threats and had no firm assassination plot and no ability to carry one out.