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Date: 01-24-2023
Case Style:
United States of America v. Christopher Stephen Brown
Case Number: 2:21-cr-00110
Judge: Matthew J. Kacsmaryk
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Potter County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Amarillo
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Amarillo, Texas criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with threatening to execute three prominent Jewish rabbis, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Christopher Stephen Brown was charged via criminal complaint on Dec. 6, 2021 and indicted later that month. He plead guilty in September 2022 to making interstate threatening communications and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
“Mr. Brown expressed vile anti-Semitism and threatened to commit despicable, violent acts against specific Jewish authorities. We will never stop protecting the Jewish community and other religious groups from such disturbing, hateful conduct. We hope the sentence handed down today serves as reassurance of that to the victims, their loved ones, and the greater Jewish community”
- U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton
“Making threatening statements intended to instill fear and cause potential physical harm is a serious criminal action with consequences. Our hope is that today’s sentence brings some relief to the affected private citizens, law enforcement and members of the Jewish community at large. This behavior will not be tolerated, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who espouse violent, antisemitic beliefs and pose a threat to public safety, holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
- FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Dwyer
According to plea papers, Mr. Brown admitted to placing threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust. Chabad is headquartered in New York City and maintains more than 3,500 institutions worldwide.
In those calls, the defendant sated his name was “Madrikh Obadiah” and threatened to “execute” several rabbinical leaders, identified in court documents as L.S., Y.K., and M.K. Over the course of multiple calls, he vowed he would tear their eyes and tongues out, blow their heads of, and kill every rabbi he could find.
According to court documents, he also sent messages to the organization via their website, calling for death to all Jews and linking to his YouTube channel, which also contained threatening content.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in partnership with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
18 U.S.C. § 875(c) - INTERSTATE THREATENING COMMUNICATIONS
(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any demand or request for a ransom or reward for the release of any kidnapped person, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(c) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(d) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
Outcome: JUDGMENT as to Christopher Stephen Brown (1), Count(s) 1, Dismissed upon motion of the government; Count(s) 2, Custody of the BOP for a term of 24 months. S/R - 1 year. MSA - $100 Pursuant to LR 79.2 and LCrR 55.2, exhibits may be claimed during the 60-day period following final disposition (to do so, follow the procedures found at Exhibit Guide). The clerk will discard exhibits that remain unclaimed after the 60-day period without additional notice. (Clerk to notice any party not electronically noticed.) (Ordered by Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk on 1/19/2023) (nht) (Entered: 01/20/2023)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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