A federal jury on Thursday convicted a Buxton man of threatening to kill Jewish people in a 2021 Twitter post.
On September 8, 2021, Brian Dennison, 27, posted to Twitter, “I’m going to kill jews with my ar15 tomorrow,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice, citing evidence presented during the trial.
FBI investigators identified Dennison as the likely author and got a search warrant for his Buxton residence where they seized approximately 1,700 rounds of ammunition for an AR-15-style rifle.
They also found evidence that Dennison “had a long-standing animus toward Jewish people,” the DOJ said. Dennison allegedly had Nazi memorabilia, including a replica hat, according to previous reporting by the BDN.
In October 2021, investigators again searched the property and found an AR-15-style rifle and ammunition in a case that had been hidden in the woods behind the residence.
Dennison went to trial in 2022, but the proceedings ended in a mistrial when an FBI investigator learned he was positive for COVID-19 shortly after testifying at the federal courthouse in Portland.
Following his conviction on Thursday, Dennison faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A date has not been set for his sentencing.