A 29-year-old Boulder man investigated by federal authorities after making startling online posts was searching for mosque and synagogue locations in the Denver metro area and elsewhere in Colorado just days before he was arrested on unrelated charges of possessing hundreds of child-porn images.
New details into Wesley Gilreath’s alleged activities were unveiled on Thursday in an unsealed federal search warrant application for his iPhone, a day after his arrest was publicized.
Read the federal search warrant application.
Gilreath was interviewed by the FBI in January after posting a “hunting guide” online listing mosque and synagogue addresses, telling investigators that “although (he) did not label himself a white supremacist, Gilreath wanted the white race to win at life.”
He tried to buy a gun from a Boulder shop on May 24, but was turned down because a background check revealed that he had previously been committed to a mental institution or found to be mentally defective.
He texted a contact named “Dad” that same day that “you’ve permanently ruined my ability to buy a gun in CO and other states,” the warrant says.
Federal agents also found a recording of a man carrying out the Christchurch, New Zealand, shootings in March that left 51 people dead at a pair of mosques. Additionally, in the notes section of his phone, authorities say they found writing that appeared to reference the Oklahoma City federal building bomber Timothy McVeigh and explosives.
MORE: Colorado child porn suspect posted “hunting guide” online listing mosque and synagogue addresses
Between May 24 and May 29, Gilreath’s phone had searches on it that included the following:
- 9mm small pistol
- Best small 380 pistol
- Black Death Jewish persecutions
- Jewish conspiracy exposed
- Mosques and Islamic schools in Denver Metro, Colorado
- Synagogues in Boulder
- Synagogues in Colorado
- Timothy McVeigh
- Well poisoning
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Gilreath was arrested after his cellphone was found on an RTD bus in Boulder on May 31. Records say workers trying to find information about the owner discovered child pornography on the phone then contacted Boulder police, who enlisted the FBI.
One FBI investigator said in court records that the phone contained thousands of still images of minors from infants to preteens, hundreds of videos, and web searches for violent child pornography.
Gilreath remains in federal custody on the child pornography charges.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak said Tuesday that Gilreath was a danger and will be detained pending his trial.
In his written order, Varholak also said investigators found Gilreath had “numerous white supremacist documents and paraphernalia” and had searched for a book about gaining the trust of children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.