KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a two-count indictment on September 16, 2026, against David Kerr, 68, of Knoxville, for posting public threats on Bluesky to maim and murder ICE agents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) (interstate threats). Kerr appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin in the Eastern District of Tennessee on September 21, 2026, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was detained pending trial, which has been set for November 24, 2026, before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in United States District Court at Knoxville.
The indictment alleges that on June 4, 2025, Kerr, while using the social media platform Bluesky, posted publicly “Time to bear spray ICE!” And later, on October 7, 2025, Kerr, while using the social media platform Bluesky, posted publicly “Kill the ice military police!”
If convicted, Kerr faces a total term of 10 years in prison. The maximum prison sentence for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) is five years. Each violation also includes a maximum fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge, Dennis M. Fetting, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Lewen, Jr. will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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