You are reading

Ridgewood Man Found Guilty of Threatening to Kill AOC and Schumer, Faces up to 10 Years in Jail

A screenshot of Brendan Hunt from his YouTube channel “xrayultra”

April 29, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

A federal jury convicted a Ridgewood man Wednesday for making online threats to kill Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other leading Democrats.

Brendan Hunt, 37, was found guilty in Brooklyn federal court after he called for the death and public executions of Ocasio-Cortez, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a series of online posts and videos he made in December and January.

He also demanded his online followers take up arms and violently overthrow the federal government in the wake of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which he claimed was “rigged.”

“Get your guns, show up to D.C., and literally just spray these m—–f—–s . . . put some bullets in their f——g heads,”  he said in a video posted online. “If anybody has a gun, give me it, I’ll go there myself and shoot them and kill them.”

Hunt, who pleaded not guilty, defended his actions by telling the jury that he didn’t think anyone would take his rants seriously and also blamed some of his rhetoric on drug use.

His attorney argued that the charges were overblown and that Hunt’s posts were protected speech.

The jury, however, did not buy it — and sided with the prosecution, who said the threats made were very real.

Hunt made a series of social media posts between Dec. 6 and Jan. 8 where he labeled Ocasio-Cortez, Pelosi and Schumer as “high-value target[s],” according to the criminal complaint.

“They really need to be put down,” Hunt posted. “These commies will see death before they see us surrender.”

He also called on former President Donald Trump to hold public executions of the congress members in another post.

“If you don’t do it, the citizenry will,” Hunt wrote. “Start up the firing squads, mow down these commies, and let’s take America back.”

One of the videos he filmed was titled “Kill Your Senators,” which he posted two days after violent rioters stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C. Hunt claimed he had been drinking and smoking weed when he posted it, according to CBS News. He did not attend the riot on Jan. 6.

In the video, Hunt encouraged viewers to storm the Capitol a second time — but with guns. He suggested killing legislators during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

“[W]e need to go back to the U.S. Capitol when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there, and this time we have to show up with our guns,” he said. “And we need to slaughter these m—–f—–s.”

Prosecutors also alleged that Hunt espoused white supremacist and anti-Semitic views based on his social media accounts, as well as videos, text messages, emails, and other documents downloaded from his electronic devices.

Hunt, who went by “X-Ray Ultra” online, testified that he wasn’t trying to inspire anyone or intimidate politicians.

At the time of his arrest in January, Hunt was a full-time employee of the New York State Office of Court Administration where he worked as an assistant court analyst in the state’s Attorney Registration Unit. He is the son of a retired New York City family court judge.

He was also a part-time actor and filmmaker, according to court documents.

Hunt will be sentenced on June 22 and faces up to 10 years in prison.

“With today’s verdict, the defendant is now a convicted felon, not for his repugnant, racist rants, but because he threatened to attack and kill members of Congress to prevent them from carrying out their constitutional duties, and that is a federal crime,” stated Acting United States Attorney Lesko yesterday.

“This Office will not tolerate threats of violence against public officials who are entrusted with upholding the Constitution.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
ASensibleMan

Trump received thousands of death threats a day on social media. Twitter, etc. did nothing whatsoever to stop it, and nobody was ever arrested for it. Yet this poor boob, because he threatens the Democrats, will spend ten years in jail. What crime did he actually commit? None. Who was harmed? Nobody. But you can’t mess with the Ruling Class.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Celebrate the season: a guide to fall events at Queens Botanical Garden

Sep. 18, 2025 By Jessica Militello

There is nothing quite like witnessing the beauty of fall amongst the plants and wildlife at the Queens Botanical Garden. The 47-acre sanctuary offers a tranquil respite from the city, including an array of classes, events and workshops to learn more about nature and connect with the community. The garden has a variety of exciting events and programs to fully immerse oneself in the autumn season, from their Apples and Honey Day Festival to kids’ programs and much more. Whether you are looking to volunteer or tap into your creativity, here is a list of upcoming events.

CM Julie Won vows to vote against OneLIC Neighborhood Plan if neighborhood priorities are not included

Sep. 18, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Council Member Julie Won has once again outlined that she will vote against the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan unless the comprehensive neighborhood rezoning includes specific community guarantees — including a commitment to provide deeply affordable housing, over 1,300 new school seats, a substantial increase in open space, and a comprehensive plan to improve resiliency in the neighborhood.

Suspect sought in Kew Gardens jewel heist at private residence near Forest Park: NYPD

Police from the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill are looking for a bearded burglar who was captured on video surveillance pulling off a jewel heist at a Kew Gardens home four blocks east of Forest Park late last month.

The suspect was seen walking on 84th Street near 118th Street at around 4:45 a.m. when he unlawfully entered a private residence through a rear door. Once inside, the suspect went into a bedroom and removed a black box, which contained jewelry valued at approximately $1,950, police said. The stranger left the home and ran off southbound on 118th Street toward Bessemer Street in Richmond Hill. There were no injuries reported after the jewel heist.

Suspect wanted for allegedly groping three women as they walked to work in Corona: NYPD

Police from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights are looking for a serial groper who targeted three women in 20 minutes on Monday, Sept. 1, in Corona.

The first incident occurred at around 5:55 a.m. as a 37-year-old victim was walking to work near the intersection of 103rd Street and 37th Avenue when a stranger approached her from behind and allegedly grabbed her buttocks before running off westbound on 37th Avenue toward 102nd Street.