LAKE STEVENS — The man once married to the sister of state Sen. Steve Hobbs was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after being accused of threatening to kill the Washington lawmaker.
Prosecutors have charged Moses McBride, 37, with telephone harassment and intimidating a public servant. He is accused of sending Hobbs more than a dozen threatening postcards and leaving harassing phone messages.
In those recorded messages, McBride threatened to shoot the Lake Stevens Democrat and watch him die, according to court papers. He also threatened to spread rumors about Hobbs if he didn’t help him restore his expired passport, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Jarett Goodkin wrote.
A judge last month issued a $100,000 warrant for McBride’s arrest. Lake Stevens police believed he was living outside the U.S., likely in Vietnam. Detectives contacted U.S Immigrations and Customs and the State Department and requested that they be notified if McBride returned to the U.S.
McBride received government assistance to leave Vietnam, Lake Stevens police detective Jeff Lambier said. He told authorities at the U.S. Consulate there that he didn’t have a valid passport and couldn’t afford to pay for his fare back home, Lambier said.
“We knew when he was coming in. We were waiting for him,” Lambier said.
McBride was arrested Friday at Sea-Tac and booked into the Snohomish County Jail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday. A judge ordered him held on $200,000 bail.
“Now we know where he is and know that he’s not going anywhere,” Hobbs said Monday.
Hobbs said he is thankful for the efforts by the Snohomish County prosecutors and Lake Stevens police.
“My family feels much safer with those folks around,” Hobbs said.
McBride also was wanted on a separate warrant stemming from another harassment case. He is accused of making threats to his ex-wife, Hobbs’ sister.
She told investigators she believes McBride is upset because she won’t sign papers releasing him from paying past-due child support, court papers said. The couple has been separated since 2001.
McBride moved to Vietnam several years ago.
Hobbs, an Army National Guardsman, told Lake Stevens police that McBride began calling him after his sister changed her phone number. He initially thought that McBride was blowing off steam but the messages became more aggressive and threatening.
Hobbs called police in August and reported the threats. He had received about 18 harassing postcards between June and August. Investigators also listened to several recorded phone messages that Hobbs believes were left by McBride.
The caller asked Hobbs if he’d received his letters and also demanded that the senator assist him with his passport. Hobbs told investigators that McBride can’t get his passport renewed because he owes child support, Goodkin wrote.
Hobbs tried to explain to McBride that he doesn’t have the power to return his passport, court papers said.
In one message the caller threatened to shoot Hobbs in the head and destroy his family. The senator told investigators he was scared for his family and concerned that McBride would carry out his threats if he returned to Lake Stevens, Goodkin wrote.
Hobbs and his family received more threatening phone messages in September. The caller said “God, I must have left 10,000 (expletive) messages. All those to talk to a human and talk to my baby. I don’t know how many messages I got left. You know, I guess it comes down to living or dying. Killing and that’s all I got left. You know that I think about killing you every day.”
Hobbs said his experience with McBride has given him some perspective on domestic violence.
“It brings to light what victims have to go through in domestic violence cases,” Hobbs said. “It really opened my eyes. I can understand the hopelessness that some victims feel.”
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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