FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A Florida man accused of stockpiling weapons, seeking a hit man to kill his family and threatening President Barack Obama has been jailed, police said.
Jason Simione, 39, of Dania Beach, Fla., owner of a Fort Lauderdale company that manufactures specialized equipment for the U.S. military, made an initial court appearance Tuesday before Broward County Judge John Hurley, the South Florida Sun sentinel reported.
Simione was being held on $5 million bond, court records said.
Simione's wife contacted authorities Friday, saying he was prone to "violent outbursts, delusional type behavior" and abuse of steroids, Hurley said, reading from an arrest record. He said Simione had allegedly reinforced his home against law enforcement and set up "kill zones" to prevent entry of SWAT teams.
Simione allegedly offered an employee of his firm $150,000 to kill his wife, 1-month-old child, mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Hurley said.
The employees told deputies Simione stockpiled firearms, sniper rifles, ammunition and bomb-making materials and said he had "become increasingly hostile and paranoid" and said the president should be killed.
