KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |House Of Israel Leader Has Taliban Links; Draws McVeigh Comparisons

House Of Israel Leader Has Taliban Links; Draws McVeigh Comparisons

He's the ringleader of an anti-government group, caught here in East Texas.

Now he's been linked to a major terrorist organization - the Taliban.

Robert James Fox was arrested in May by Jacksonville Police and then again in June. He bonded out, and is now wanted for another felony charge.

Jacksonville Police held a press conference today and walked us through Fox's history and what they see as his potential threat.

A Canadian by birth, Robert Fox fled to the Dallas area after he was convicted of killing two people in a motorcycle accident in Canada. He changed his name, and declined a Social Security card and citizenship, accepting instead residency status. Authorities think he moved to East Texas around 2004. They say he's gone to great lengths to conceal his whereabouts and what he's been doing, but that his strong anti-government beliefs combined with his ability to convince followers makes him a great threat.

"We believe there is the same kind threat potential with Robert Fox, as there was with Timothy McVeigh," Detective Jason Price told KLTV 7. "It's a pressurized pot and it's hard to say when it's going to blow."

"If you look at it, it escalates from a Class C misdemeanor to the point to where this man has self-reported ties to a man who is a member of the Taliban. My concern is, how far does it go? I don't know. We don't have the resources to know that," said Police Chief Reece Daniels today.

Police say they also found a legal argument Fox signed and sent to the federal court asking to represent John Walker Lindh, the young American found in Afghanistan working with the Taliban. Because the situation is so indepth, Jacksonville Police have contacted several federal agencies for help.

Fox bonded out of jail around June 16th. They believe he may still be in the Cherokee County area, or in the Austin area.

Danielle Capper, reporting. dcapper@kltv.com