Kevin Brent Buchanan, a 64-year-old resident of Tooele, Utah, was sentenced to six months in prison for threatening violence against employees of a Palestinian rights organization based in Washington, D.C. The sentencing took place in the District of Columbia and was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Buchanan pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025, to one count of transmitting a threat to injure another person via interstate communication. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered that Buchanan serve three years of supervised release and participate in a mandatory mental health program.
The announcement was made with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox from the Washington Field Office.
Court documents revealed that between October 31 and November 2, 2023, Buchanan used his cell phone to call members of the organization and left five threatening voice messages. On November 2, he stated: “Your families are going to be followed and watched;” “You don’t even belong in America;” “I hope every Muslim in the United States [expletive] croaks;” and “You are all going to [expletive] die, you pieces of [expletive] traitors.”
Buchanan admitted that he targeted the organization because its staff and members are Palestinian and because it advocates for Palestinians.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. Prosecution was handled by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
