Andrew J. O’Keefe, 31, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, admitted in federal court to threatening to kill President Barack Obama in a disturbing online post that triggered a full-scale law enforcement response. O’Keefe pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Boston, facing up to five years behind bars for a crime that crossed the line from rant to federal offense.
The threat was posted May 13, 2015, on an FBI public tip website—an alarming message in which O’Keefe declared his intent to assassinate the President of the United States. Investigators traced the digital footprint to his home computer, confirming he was the author. Two days later, law enforcement officers arrived at his residence to question him, but O’Keefe refused to speak, barricading himself and escalating tensions.
A search warrant executed at his Mansfield home and vehicle uncovered a personal arsenal of over 100 weapons—swords, double-edged knives, hatchets, spears, and an air gun—all seized as investigators pieced together the scope of the threat. Also recovered were two laptop computers, which contained digital evidence directly linking him to the threatening message.
O’Keefe was initially arrested on state charges before federal prosecutors took over the case. He was charged under a statute that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. While federal sentences often fall below the maximum, the presence of extensive weaponry and the specificity of the threat could weigh heavily at sentencing.
U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr., accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for March 16, 2017. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine, of the Major Crime Unit, is prosecuting the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which emphasized that threats against federal officials, especially the president, are treated with the highest urgency.
The announcement was made jointly by United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, and Mansfield Police Chief Ronald A. Sellon. The case underscores the thin line between free speech and criminal threat—especially when hundreds of blades and a direct threat to the commander-in-chief are involved.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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