Christopher Brown, a 23-year-old man, has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for possession of a firearm in connection with a foiled terror plot targeting New York's Jewish community, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. disclosed today. Brown, whose plan was intercepted last year, entered a guilty plea on September 18, to one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree as a Crime of Terrorism, as covered by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
D.A. Bragg conveyed the weight of the verdict, stating to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, "Today Christopher Brown was sentenced to a significant prison term for arming himself with an illegal firearm as part of his plan to commit an act of terror targeting Manhattan’s Jewish community." He further emphasized the concerted effort to use "every tool possible in coordination with our law enforcement partners to keep them safe." The case against Brown's co-defendant, Matthew Mahrer, is still ongoing and has yet to be concluded.
Detailed in court documents, Brown's disturbing social media activity revealed his advocacy for Nazi ideology and accelerationism, a more radical form of extremism motivated by racial and ethnic hatred. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office release cited Brown's conversations about desiring Nazi tattoos and his admiration for Brenton Tarrant, known for the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
According to his guilty plea, between November 12, 2022, and November 18, 2022, Brown posted multiple threatening messages on Twitter under the handle @VrilGod. His posts included alarming statements such as "God wants me to shoot up a synagogue and die," and "This time I'm really gonna do it." In preparation for the attack, Brown had paid Mahrer $650 to secure a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania, as detailed by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Brown was subsequently arrested on November 18, 2022, at Penn Station, where authorities found a knife, a Swastika armband, and a ski mask in his possession.
Assistant D.A.s Edward Burns and Bonnie Seok, under the guidance of Assistant D.A. David Stuart, led the prosecution of this case that involved collaboration with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD's Intelligence Bureau. The District Attorney's statement extends gratitude to a roster of law enforcement and analytical staff who were instrumental in the investigation and subsequent prevention of the potential attack.
