Federal prosecutors say that Schuylkill County resident Shawn Christy went on a “three-month odyssey” eluding federal agents while committing numerous crimes during the summer of 2018.

Testimony in the federal trial against Christy opened Tuesday following opening statements.

The U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case described how Christy, armed with three stolen handguns, led agents on a manhunt through six states and Canada. Along the way he allegedly made threats against President Trump, a prosecutor from the Lehigh Valley, and any police officers who tried to arrest him.

“The defendant, the evidence will show, was a one-man crime wave,” U.S. Attorney Francis Stempa said in his opening statement.

Threatening posts

On Thursday, jurors heard from agents who investigated Christy’s threatening posts and employees at two Hazleton businesses where Christy allegedly stole vehicles. They also heard from Christy’s own uncle about how his nephew broke into his home, stole three guns, and left notes to prove it.

In one of the notes, addressed to his mother, Christy said he had traveled to Mohawk land in Canada during the manhunt, where he spoke to his ancestors and they spoke to him.

Christy is being tried on a long list of federal charges including threats against the president, interstate transportation of a stolen firearm, and being a fugitive with a firearm, stemming from the manhunt. He is acting as his own attorney, assisted by a court-appointed “standby counsel.”

Prosecutors said that Christy officially became a fugitive in May after he skipped a court date for an alleged assault on the former mayor of McAdoo borough.

“That began a three-month odyssey during which Christy threatened to kill Morganelli and Trump, and threatened to use full lethal force against police,” Stempa said.

The Secret Service became aware of the case June 12, when Christy’s father reported that his son had made a Facebook post threatening Donald Trump.

Agent Mike Armstrong, stationed in Allentown, testified that his agency then attempted to locate Christy, which set off the federal manhunt.

On cross examination, Christy asked Armstrong if the threats could have just been bluster. He also asked Armstrong how he knew that the posts on Christy’s account weren’t made by someone else impersonating him.

Armstrong said that Christy’s father’s report made him believe that the posts were legitimate.

FBI Agent Alan Jones, who is stationed in Allentown, testified about his investigation of Christy’s alleged online threats. In late May, Christy started making posts aimed at Trump and complaining about probation agents from Northampton County.

In early June the posts became threatening. Christy allegedly said he would use ‘full lethal force’ against any officer that attempted to arrest him on a bench warrant.

He threatened to wage war against officers.

The June 12 post read, “Keep it up Morganelli, I promise I’ll put a bullet in your head as soon as I put one in the head of President Donald J. Trump” — referring to Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli.

The agents said they took all of Christy’s threats seriously. When President Trump held a rally in Wilkes Barre on Aug. 2, all of the agents were instructed to look out for Christy.

On cross examination, Jones acknowledged it was possible that someone could have made posts posing as Christy. But he said generally if someone is hacked they contact Facebook to report it, and Christy never did that.

Thefts

Two witnesses then described how Christy stole a truck from a Hazleton area business on July 7 and drove to the Canada border.

Rose Kelly of Hazleton Oil and Environmental reviewed surveillance footage and found that Christy, a former employee, was inside the business in the early hours of July 7, and took an F-350 pickup truck. She said at this point Christy was “all over the news.”

Later that day, US Customs and Border Patrol found the truck about 150 feet from the Canadian border in upstate New York. New York State Trooper Michael Perry testified that the truck was located near the Trout River port of entry.

Two and a half weeks later, on July 25, Christy’s uncle, Gerald DeBalko, arrived home from work to find a half-eaten pizza on his stove and soup cans in the trash which he didn’t put there. He immediately assumed that his fugitive nephew was in the house and fled. After police secured the home, DeBalko found that three handguns were missing — a .22-caliber Smith and Wesson, a 9mm Ruger, and a .380-caliber.

Butler Township Police searched the home as well and found two notes on the kitchen table. One was addressed to his mother, DeBalko’s sister, in which he talked about traveling to Canada, and how he misses his parents and pets.

The second note was to his uncle apologizing for the break-in.

“I’d rather go out with some firepower in my hands. If the lord means it’s my time to go, I hope someday I can repay you,”

Testimony concluded after a manager from Rohrer School Bus testified about the second vehicle Christy allegedly stole. On July 30, Joseph DiSabella discovered a school van was missing. He reviewed surveillance footage and found someone who resembled Christy stealing the vehicle.

DiSabella said the FBI told him that the van was recovered in Nitro, West Virginia.

Stempa’s opening statement provided a preview of the witnesses to come. To explain the size of the manhunt, he used a map with numbered points showing the locations where Christy allegedly committed federal offenses.

Stempa said that during a recorded jail house conversation after his arrest in Ohio, Christy admitted to stealing the truck from Hazleton Oil, breaking into his uncle’s house, stealing the van from Rohrer, stealing another truck, breaking into the home of Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer and stealing loan documents. Christy reportedly says on the recording that he is shocked that the U.S. Marshals let him commit the crimes.

““This recorded conversation is essentially a confession to the crimes he’s accused of in this case,” Stempa said.

Testimony was set to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday and wrap up at noon. Judge Robert Mariani said Thursday will be another full day of testimony.