US man who offered $500 for killing an ICE agent acquitted
Published:Monday | December 9, 2019 | 5:09 PM
BOSTON (AP) — A man who tweeted that he would give $500 to anyone who would kill a federal immigration officer was acquitted Friday in a case that centred on whether a threatening social media post is protected speech.
A federal jury at US District Court in Boston cleared Brandon Ziobrowski, 35, of New York City.
He had faced up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as $250,000 if convicted.
Ziobrowski had been charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat.
Jurors got the case Friday afternoon after a week of testimony.
Ziobrowski said after the verdict that he was relieved the ordeal was over.
“It seemed like the right verdict,” he said briefly as he walked out of court with his family and lawyer late Friday.
“It’s been a horrible year. I’m glad its over.”
His lawyer, Derege Demissie, said the case “should never have gone this far.”
“The government turned a tweet that was made in jest — a hyperbolic political statement — into a federal case,” he said.
US Attorney Andrew Lelling, whose office prosecuted the case, said his staff will “never hesitate” to prosecute threats against law enforcement officers.
“We respect the jury’s verdict,” he said in a statement.
“But in this case, the defendant posted a tweet that, on its face, offered $500 to anyone who killed a federal agent.”
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