BATON ROUGE, La. – A veteran was accused of sending the Department of Veterans Affairs a threat to “explore my homicidal ideations” because VA managers rejected his claim for benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The veteran, Mandell Croxton, must stay in jail until his trial, U.S. Magistrate Christine Noland ruled Wednesday. No trial date has been set.

Federal public defender Jean Faria said she would submit a request by Friday for Croxton to be evaluated to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. Faria agreed to the prosecutors’ recommendation that he remain in custody.

Faria did not return a call Thursday from the Associated Press.

A July 11 criminal complaint accuses Croxton of sending threatening communications to the manager of the Veterans Service Center in Nashville, Tenn.

“You have exactly 10 working days from today to get an award letter out to me stating that the VA is awarding me my claim at a rate of no less than 65 percent,” an e-mail allegedly said. “If not, I will explore my homicidal ideations.” Ideation is a clinical term referring to thoughts or inclinations.

If convicted, Croxton faces up to five years in prison.

Croxton first submitted his claim in August 2004; it is still being appealed after several denials, VA Special Agent John Ramsey wrote in the complaint.

He said Croxton sent three complaint e-mails to the VA in May and June, then the threat, sent July 2 to Jerry Mitchell, manager of the Veterans Service Center in Nashville.

The case file on the federal court Web site does not give Croxton’s age or details on his military service. He gave a Baton Rouge Volunteers of America address and phone number as his own.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)