Benjamin Keebler sentenced to prison for threatening Rep. Thomas Massie

Benjamin Keebler, 55, of Florence, Kentucky, has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for cyberstalking and threatening communications. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning.

Keebler pleaded guilty in March to making a series of violent threats against Republican Representative Thomas Massie and an unnamed U.S. senator. Prosecutors stated that Keebler made threatening calls and voicemails to numbers associated with Massie over a period of more than two years, beginning in 2023. In one 2025 call, Keebler reportedly asked about the date of Massie’s next town hall meeting so that he could “shoot [Massie] in the head.”

Keebler also threatened a senator based in Nebraska with a “hammer visit.” Defense attorneys argued that Keebler’s actions were influenced by untreated bipolar disorder, noting that the aggressive political climate provided a target for his mental health struggles. Keebler expressed regret in court, stating his actions were a “complete embarrassment.”