Federal Grand Jury Charges Dallas Resident with Making an Internet Threat and Other Felony Offenses

DALLAS—A federal grand jury in Dallas returned a three-count indictment late yesterday charging Barrett Lancaster Brown in count one with making an Internet threat; in count with conspiring to make restricted personal information of an employee of the United States publicly available; and in count three with retaliation against a federal law enforcement officer. Brown, 31, a resident of Dallas, was taken into federal custody last month for the conduct described in the indictment. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Count one of the indictment sets out some of the threatening messages allegedly transmitted by Brown in September 2012 through the Internet on his Twitter.com account and his YouTube.com account, wherein he threatens to shoot and injure law enforcement and FBI agents, specifically focusing his retaliatory statements against one particular FBI agent.

In count two, the indictment further alleges that between March 2012 and September 2012, Brown conspired to make restricted personal information about that FBI agent and the agent’s immediate family publically available with the intent to threaten and intimidate the agent and to incite the commission of a crime against the agent. In September 2012, Brown requested another individual to assist him find on the Internet restricted information about the FBI agent and the agent’s immediate family. That individual did conduct a search on the Internet for the restricted information.

Count three of the indictment alleges that Brown threatened to assault a federal law enforcement officer with the intent to retaliate against the officer on account of his performance of official duties.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. Upon conviction, however, the maximum statutory sentence for each count of making Internet threats and each count of conspiracy to make publically available restricted personal information of an employee of the United States is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty, upon conviction, for retaliation against a federal law enforcement officer is up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the Dallas Field Office of the FBI and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.