Chenango County Man Admits to Posting Facebook Threats and Illegally Possessing Three Firearms

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - James Kenyon, age 52, of Smithville Flats, New York, pled guilty yesterday to transmitting a threat to injure in interstate commerce and unlawfully possessing three firearms while subject to a domestic violence order of protection.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Kenyon admitted that on December 10, 2022, he made a profanity-laced Facebook post in which he threatened to decapitate another individual and told the individual to move out-of-state. Kenyon also admitted to possessing two rifles and a shotgun on December 29, 2022, while subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited him from possessing any firearms.

The charges to which Kenyon pled guilty carry a combined maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Kenyon also agreed to forfeit all three firearms.

The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.