A national political discussion about how to deal with Syrian refugees has led to local duress after a business in Corvallis, Montana began receiving threats in early July. According to Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman, deputies are investing threats against J & J Excavating and its owner John King.

"Mr. King advised us that someone had been writing letters and emails, threatening to burn their business and their homes,” Hoffman said. “Deputies did respond out there and took a report at that time that basically detailed that J & J excavating was supposedly rumored to be building homes for Syrian refugees.”

Investigators began to track an internet rumor, that began from a post by a University of Montana Student. According to Hoffman, the original social media post began in “the most innocent way” and that pictures of J & J Excavating construction site do not even feature refugee housing.

“Mr. King is building residential condominiums that are not for Syrian refugees,” Hoffman said. “In our opinion became just a huge cyber game of whisper down the lane. We have been working with the Kings for quite a while tying to get that information out on social media that this was not true.”

Hoffman says that new complaints of threats against J & J Excavation were filed with his office yesterday morning.

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