Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor

A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg's 2022 campaign.

According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg's campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor.

Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement.

The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division's Mental Health Litigation Unit.

This case is part of the Justice Department's Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department's efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers - whether elected, appointed, or volunteer - are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

The task force is led by the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department's efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.