Leader of neo-Nazi group convicted of threatening journalists, employees of the Anti-Defamation League
A jury took just 90 minutes to convict a neo-Nazi leader for sending threatening mailers to journalists and employees of the Anti-Defamation League.
Kaleb Cole, the 25-year-old leader of Atomwaffen, was found guilty Wednesday of conspiracy, three counts of mailing threatening communications, and one count of interfering with a federally protected activity for the threats, which primarily focused on Jewish and non-white journalists, according to the Department of Justice.
“All of the images (in the posters) were selected by Kaleb Cole to send one message ‘We can get you in your home,’” Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson said in his closing argument. “Cole wanted to terrorize them with threats of physical harm.”
The posters, which Cole created himself, featured the text “you have been visited by your local Nazis” and included imagery of “a hooded figure preparing to throw a Molotov cocktail at a house,” according to prosecutors. Another poster screamed “Death to Pigs,” the same message left by Charles Manson’s followers scrawled on the wall of Leno LaBianca’s home.
In January 2020, Cole and his partners sent the posters to a Seattle TV journalist who had reported on Atomwaffen and two associates of the ADL and glued one to the Phoenix bedroom window of the editor of a Jewish lifestyle magazine. A poster meant for a Tampa journalist was delivered to the wrong address.
Three of Cole’s co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty, including 25-year-old Cameron Shea, who sentenced to three years in prison in August.
Cole faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charges and mailing a threatening communication, while interference with a federally protected activity is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
His sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 11.
