Benjamin Brown, Making Interstate Threats, Maine 2024

BANGOR, Maine – In a disturbing display of hate speech, Benjamin Brown, 47, of Waterville, has been sentenced to time-served for making threatening interstate communications.

According to court records, on February 8, 2024, Brown posted comments on YouTube threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants. In his comments, Brown said that no one could stop him from killing illegal immigrants, not even law enforcement. This egregious act of hate speech has left many in the community questioning the dangers of unchecked online behavior.

Despite previous warnings from federal agents, Brown continued to post his vile threats, sparking a federal investigation. Federal agents had previously met with Brown on two separate occasions to discuss other comments he had posted online and warned him about the federal crime of interstate threats.

On October 7, 2025, U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Brown to time-served, which is approximately 6 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.

The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Waterville Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the hard-working investigators from the FBI and U.S. Secret Service for their work on this case.

“Words matter, and when those words are violent threats, the FBI takes them seriously,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “What Benjamin Brown did in threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants was not only reprehensible but criminal, and he is now being held accountable.”

“There is no online safe haven for threats to kill others,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson. “Indeed, threats posted online can have a much broader impact than those made in person. No matter how frustrated or angry you are, don’t post threats to kill someone else unless you want law enforcement to show up and hold you accountable.”

Brown’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would use online platforms to incite violence and hatred. It is a reminder that the consequences of such actions are real and will be enforced by law enforcement.

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