Lockhart Man In Federal Custody After Allegedly Harassing Sutherland Springs Church Members

A Lockhart man is in federal custody after an investigation by multiple agencies resulted in a criminal complaint.

Staff Reports

A Lockhart man has been arrested and charged of convicted felon in possession of a firearm after allegedly verbally harassing members of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

Twenty-six people were killed at the church on Nov. 5, 2017, when a 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley open fired on church members during Sunday service.

On March 5, 2018, Robert Mikell Ussery, 54, and his girlfriend, Jodie Mann, allegedly entered the church and verbally harassed church members. The arrest followed a federal complaint, which was unsealed May 23, alleging Ussery was knowingly in possession of a silver and black semi-automatic pistol after being convicted of a felony offense.

Ussery and his girlfriend claimed the mass shooting “was all a hoax, that no one died as a result of the shooting incident, and that ‘the people’ will hang a member of the church for perpetrating the hoax.”

Footage of the confrontation was captured on the couple’s personal recording devices, which they were holding or wearing. The devices have been seized by authorities.

According to the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s office, Ussery has a criminal history, which includes a conviction in 1984 for burglary of a vehicle in Brazoria County; he served four years in prison in the Texas Department of Corrections.

An investigation by ATF, Texas Department of Public Safety, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the criminal complaint against Ussery.

Currently, Ussery remains in federal custody and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in San Antonio today, May 24, at 1:30 PM. Ussery could face up to ten years in prison if convicted.