Daniel Cowart

Daniel Cowart was arrested on October 22, 2008 in connection with a plot to assassinate then presidential candidate Barack Obama.Commercial Appeal: Mid-south Men Charged with Threats on Obama (October 27, 2008) Cowart pleaded not guilty to charges against him on November 6, 2008.

Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were charged in federal court on October 24. The charges include illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and making threats against a presidential candidate.KAIT (Jonesboro, AR): ATF Arrests Arkansas, Tennessee Men in Plot to Kill Obama Both Cowart and Schlesselman pleaded not guilty to the charges on November 6, 2008.

Federal prosecutors reported that Cowart and Schlesselman were introduced by a mutual friend on the internet in mid-September. They maintain that Cowart drove from Tennessee to Arkansas on October 20, where he met Schlesselman. The two men had purchased ski masks and rope, and also had a sawed off shotgun. The complaint alleges that the pair had discussed going on a "killing spree" that would begin at a "predominantly African-American school", and end with the assassination of Senator Obama.WBTV(Charlotte): Two Men Charged for Making Threats Against Obama (October 27, 2008) Officials said that there was no evidence that the plot had gone beyond the "talking stage".MSNBC: Federal Officials Skeptical About Alleged Plot to Kill Obama (October 27, 2008)