Aquebogue man accused of antisemitic threats in NYC pleads guilty to gun charge

An Aquebogue man accused of making antisemitic threats online has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as part of a planned terror attack on New York City’s Jewish community, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Wednesday.

Christopher Brown, 23, has acknowledged that he is a white supremacist, authorities have said. In 2022, Brown published a post on Twitter that said, "God wants me to shoot up a synagogue and die," and expressed a desire to emulate Brenton Tarrant, who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, according to Bragg.

"I want Manhattan’s Jewish community to know that we are remaining extremely vigilant against threats of violence during this time of rising antisemitism," Bragg said.

Brown is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison when he returns to court Nov. 13. His attorney, Arthur Mendola of Legal Aid, declined to comment on the plea.

According to court documents. Brown drew the attention of the NYPD after making several inflammatory statements on Twitter in 2022. The platform is now known as X.

"Gonna ask a Priest if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die," Brown said in one tweet.

The NYPD arrested Brown in November 2022 as he entered Penn Station, according to the court records. The NYPD said they recovered an 8-inch military knife and a swastika armband at the time of Brown's arrest. An illegal Glock 17 firearm and a 30-round magazine were recovered from the Manhattan apartment of his co-defendant, Matthew Mahrer.

Brown was charged the same month with making a terroristic threat, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other weapons charges, according to court documents.

Brown used social media to express support for Nazi ideology and racially motivated extremism, Bragg said. He discussed getting tattoos of Nazi insignia, including a swastika on his heart.

The case against Mahrer, who is Jewish and the descendant of a Holocaust survivor, is pending, Bragg said. Mahrer was charged with fourth-degree conspiracy, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other firearm-related charges.