A Nesbit man was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for transmitting a communication in interstate commerce containing a threat to injure the person of another.

According to court documents, Aubrey Suzuki, 21, was communicating on an encrypted messaging platform with members of a white nationalist organization. Authorities were alerted when Suzuki began making threats to accelerate and wage a race war in the United States. Suzuki made numerous statements about Nazi and white supremacist ideology, and also stated, “Honestly I don’t want to be a normal person. I want to breathe revolution. I want to be in the middle of the boondocks with my mates killing n****** sp*** fa***** and blowing up the system.”

While investigating the online threats made by Suzuki, agents learned that he was in the process of purchasing an AR-15 rifle from an online dealer. Suzuki was arrested immediately thereafter.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner stated “The defendant in this case made credible threats to shoot members of various minority groups, and then purchased a semi-automatic rifle. While all Americans enjoy a constitutional right to free speech, that right does not include a right to threaten or terrorize other individuals. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute such conduct, and the agents and prosecutors who worked to stop this potential mass shooting are to be commended.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby remarked, “Mr. Aubrey Suzuki sought to intimidate members of the community through his threats. The FBI prioritizes the protection of civil rights to ensure citizens remain safe without fear of any harm. We remain committed to tirelessly thwarting the nefarious actions of those, like Mr. Suzuki, who intend to impart fear upon citizens based on biases.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs prosecuted the case.