{"id":2649178,"date":"2026-08-25T07:41:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T11:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-who-threatened-to-shoot-thomas-massie-receives-over-2-years-in-prison\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T08:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T12:10:09","slug":"man-who-threatened-to-shoot-thomas-massie-receives-over-2-years-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-who-threatened-to-shoot-thomas-massie-receives-over-2-years-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Who Threatened to Shoot Thomas Massie Receives Over 2 Years in Prison"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fman-who-threatened-to-shoot-thomas-massie-receives-over-2-years-in-prison%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2649178&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A man named Benjamin Keebler was sentenced to over two years in prison after threatening to shoot Congressman Thomas massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Keebler pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and threatening communications, with recorded threats indicating his desire to harm Massie, including plans to visit his office with bear mace and threats against a senator. Keebler cited his bipolar disorder and the tense political climate as reasons for his actions. The court sentenced him to 2.5 years, prohibiting contact with Massie and the senator and requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-introduces-bill-to-decriminalize-psychedelic-drugs\/\" title=\"California Introduces Bill To Decriminalize Psychedelic Drugs\">mental health treatment<\/a>. The case highlights concerns about increasing political violence, referencing past incidents such as attacks on public figures and political leaders.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A man who threatened to shoot Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was sentenced Friday to over two years in prison after telling staff he wanted to shoot the congressman in the head.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Benjamin Keebler was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in a federal court after he pleaded guilty in March to cyberstalking and threatening communications, the Enquirer <a class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/crime\/2026\/08\/17\/kentucky-mans-threats-against-massie-u-s-senator-land-him-in-prison\/91309829007\/?gnt-cfr=1&#038;gca-cat=p&#038;gca-uir=true&#038;gca-epti=z11xx50p119050l004450c119050e1124xxv11xx50d--65--b--65--&#038;gca-ft=227&#038;gca-ds=sophi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>. An audio recording of one of his threats revealed that Keebler referred to \u201cdeep state Massie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Keebler allegedly left several threatening calls and voics to numbers associated with Massie, according to the Enquirer. He spoke with a member of Massie\u2019s staff and said he intended to visit Massie\u2019s office with bear mace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">\u201cLive by the gun. Die by the gun, boy,\u201d Keebler allegedly said in a February 2023 voic.<\/p>\n<div>In February 2025, Keebler called the office asking about the congressman\u2019s next townhall meeting so he could \u201cshoot [Massie] in the head,\u201d according to the Enquirer. Keebler also threatened a U.S. senator with a \u201chammer visit.\u201d The senator was not named in court documents.<\/div>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Boone said in court that Keebler\u2019s threats to lawmakers are \u201cinherently corrosive to a democratic society,\u201d according to the Enquirer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Voting registration records list Keebler as an independent, according to the Enquirer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Keebler\u2019s attorney, Marvin Knorr III, argued his client would not have made these threats if he were properly diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder, according to the Enquirer. A doctor\u2019s report stated that Keebler\u2019s \u201cperception of the current aggressive and divisive political climate provided him with a reality-based \u2018target\u2019 to project his agitated depression and mania onto.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Keebler said he let his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-year-old-girl-pepper-sprayed-during-interaction-with-rochester-police\/\" title=\"9...Year...Old Girl Pepper Sprayed During Interaction With Rochester Police\">mental health issues<\/a> get the best of him and that his actions had been a \u201ccomplete embarrassment,\u201d according to the Enquirer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">\u201cI recognize that by my own hand I have brought consequences upon myself,\u201d Keebler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning, who handed down the sentencing, said Keebler\u2019s threats \u201ccompletely crossed the line,\u201d according to the Enquirer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">As part of his sentence, Keebler cannot have contact with Massie or the senator and must participate in mental health treatment under government supervision, according to the Enquirer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Cases of political violence surged in recent years, most notably the three assassination attempts against President Donald Trump. Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk died from a gunshot wound to the neck during an event at Utah Valley University in September 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">In October 2022, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s husband, Paul, was attacked inside his home in San Francisco, California, when an assailant broke in and hit him with a hammer, causing him to be hospitalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"LexicalEditorTheme__paragraph\">Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were murdered at their home by a gunman disguised as a police officer in June 2025.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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Massie received a 2.5-year prison sentence after cyberstalking and threats<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2649179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_1901.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3891,33196,4855],"class_list":["post-2649178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-prison","tag-thomas-massie","tag-threats"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_1901.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2649178"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2649197,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649178\/revisions\/2649197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2649179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2649178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2649178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2649178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}