Nicholas Welker, Death Threats, New York 2023

A Brooklyn journalist narrowly escaped a deadly threat from the leader of a notorious white supremacist group, Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), who was sentenced to 44 months in prison for conspiring to make death threats against him.

Nicholas Welker, also known as “King ov Wrath,” was found guilty of posting a graphic death threat against the journalist, complete with a photograph of the journalist with a gun aimed at his head and the words “Race Traitor” over the journalist’s eyes. The threat was posted to a public online forum and included a warning to the journalist to “F[***] OFF!”

Two underage FKD members took it upon themselves to tweet the death threat directly at the journalist’s social media handle, making it clear that Welker intended to frighten the journalist into dropping his reporting on the hate group.

Welker, the leader of FKD, has a history of promoting violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the U.S. Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure. The group has members in the United States and abroad.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consisted of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. He also thanked the Estonian Internal Security Service and Prosecutor’s Office for their valuable support.

The case was handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, with Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich leading the prosecution. Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided assistance.

Nicholas Welker, 33, of San Jose, California, will now spend the next 44 months behind bars for conspiring to make death threats against the Brooklyn journalist. His sentencing is a stark reminder that the government will not tolerate threats against journalists and will take action to protect those who bravely report on violent hate groups.

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