Federal Jury Finds Minnetonka Man Guilty on All Counts for Threatening to Murder Federal Judges and Elected Officials
MINNEAPOLIS / Friday, October 16, 2026 – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Jeffrey Allen Petersen, 68, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, was found guilty on 10 counts of threatening to murder U.S. judges and elected officials, and 10 counts of interstate transmission of threats to injure.
A federal jury found Petersen guilty of all 20 counts on October 15, 2026, after a trial before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Court at a date yet to be determined.
“My office has no tolerance for political violence and threats of political violence,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “We will prosecute—to the fullest extent of the law—those who intimidate or threaten public servants who are just doing their jobs.”
“Threats against federal judges and lawmakers strike at the heart of our judicial system and our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force will investigate and disrupt individuals who attempt to intimidate or harm public officials. At a time when Minnesota communities are especially mindful of political violence, this conviction on all 20 counts reflects the strength of our partnerships and our unwavering commitment to protecting those who serve the public.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, in July 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Maryland received a report from their judicial security intelligence unit regarding threatening comments posted to an article on a website referencing a federal judge in that District. On at least one website, Petersen used the username, “Adam Lanza,” the mass murderer who shot and killed 26 people, 20 of whom were school children between the ages of six and seven years old, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
Image 1: Online post from Petersen
Image 2: Online post from Petersen
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the post and found it was made with an IP address assigned to Petersen with a service address in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The U.S. Marshals Service then referred the matter to the FBI.
During the investigation, law enforcement received additional reports concerning similar threatening comments posted on other sites toward federal judges and various elected officials throughout the United States. The username of some of the posts was “Behring.a,” and the full registered account name was, “Anders Breivik Behring.” Breivik is the name of the mass murderer who shot and killed 77 people in 2011 at a summer camp in Norway in “support of white supremacy.” The username for some of the other posts was “james holmes,” the 2012 Aurora Colorado theater mass murderer who killed 12 people and injured 62 others during a mass shooting event. The investigation revealed that the IP address of these usernames also traced back to Petersen in Minnesota.
Image 3: Online post from Petersen
Image 4: Online post from Petersen
After learning that Petersen was the registered user for the accounts making the threatening posts on various platforms, federal law enforcement agents obtained and executed a federal search warrant at Petersen’s Minnetonka residence and recovered several electronic devices, which were later forensically examined. The forensic examinations showed that Petersen used the associated email addresses that were used to make the threatening posts on various online platforms. Law enforcement additionally found a June 2025 web search history on one of Petersen’s devices with terms including, “MN senators shot,” “adam lanza,” “anders brevik,” and “james holmes.” In total, Petersen’s posts threatened to murder eight federal judges, including an Associate Supreme Court Justice, and at least four elected United States Officials.
This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI, with assistance from other federal and local law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorneys Albania Concepcion, Michael Blackburn, and Benjamin Bejar are prosecuting this case.
Contact
usamn.pressoffice@usdoj.gov
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota
