A North Carolina man admitted in federal court Wednesday that he posted the home address of a U.S. Supreme Court justice online and urged violence, in a case that prosecutors say shows how quickly doxxing can jump from ugly internet harassment to conduct treated as a direct threat to public officials and their families.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of North Carolina, the defendant is Kyle Andrew Edwards, 59, of Alexander, N.C. Edwards pleaded guilty to knowingly making public restricted personal information, specifically a Supreme Court justice’s home address, with the intent to threaten, intimidate or incite a crime of violence. Court filings cited by prosecutors say Edwards posted the correct home address on April 8, 2025, and that he made other menacing posts on June 27 and June 29, 2025. He was released on bond and faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison, with sentencing to be set by the court.
“Doxxing is dangerous,” U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said, warning that publishing personal identifying information can expose officials and their families to people who may cause harm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also shared the announcement on X, linking to the full press release and court documents.
What prosecutors say
Prosecutors say Edwards repeatedly used a public social media account to post criticisms of multiple justices that escalated into explicit threats. According to court filings and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, his posts included language that the Court “must be destroyed,” suggestions that a justice should “buy Kevlar robes,” and taunts urging others to “start dragging the SC out by their robes” and to turn the justices “into charcoal.”
Investigation and penalties
The case was investigated by the Supreme Court Police’s Protective Intelligence Unit and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. The charge, making public restricted personal information with intent to threaten and facilitate violence, carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison. A federal judge will determine Edwards’ sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Why this matters
Federal officials and legal experts have stressed that online threats and doxxing of judges and justices can quickly translate into real‑world danger, and that prosecutions are part of a broader effort to protect the judiciary. The attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022 and the prosecutions that followed helped push authorities to treat threats against the high court as serious national security concerns, according to reporting by AP.
Edwards remains free on bond following his guilty plea, and prosecutors say they will continue pursuing threats to public servants. Court filings and the sentencing hearing will determine what punishment, and what deterrent message, follows this case.
