Washington - Two Nazi-sympathizers have been charged with making threats against Barack Obama after saying they planned to assassinate the Democratic presidential candidate, the Department of Justice said Monday.

According to a criminal complaint filed by an agent of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the two men said they plotted to rob a gun store and go on a "killing spree" at a predominantly African American school in Crockett County, Tennessee.

Following the school shooting, Daniel Cowart, 20, and Paul Schlesselman, 18, intended to travel "state to state while robbing individuals and killing people ... Their final act of violence would be to attempt to kill/assassinate presidential candidate Barack Obama," federal agent Brian Weeks, who interviewed the two men, wrote in an affidavit.

Police recovered one sawed-off shotgun from Schlesselman, but it does not appear the plot had gotten very far. The two men were arrested on October 22 after shooting at a church window and painting a Swastika and other white supremacist messages on the hood of their car.

Cowart and Schlesselman were charged Friday with violating federal firearms laws and making threats against a presidential candidate.

"The allegations set forth in this criminal complaint are serious and will be treated as such," said Lawrence Laurenzi, acting US attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. "The public can rest assured that federal, state, and local law enforcement are diligently working together to investigate and prosecute the alleged activity."