PORTLAND, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon man pleaded guilty today for using Twitter to threaten violence against employees of Robinhood Markets, Inc., an online financial services company based in Menlo Park, California.
Christopher David Michalski, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication of threats.
According to court documents, on or about April 14, 2022, a Robinhood employee contacted the FBI to report a series of Twitter posts spanning nearly a year threatening violence toward Robinhood employees, including its Chief Executive Officer and his family. Further investigation revealed that the Twitter account used to transmit the threats, @goldshroomand1, was associated with the internet protocol address of Michalski’s home in Salem and that several photos of firearms accompanying the threats were taken at a nearby shooting range.
On April 25, 2022, Michalski was charged by criminal complaint with interstate communication of threats. The next week, on May 4, 2022, special agents from the FBI and officers from the Salem Police Department arrested Michalski without incident. On May 19, 2022, Michalski was indicted by a federal grand jury in Portland.
Michalski faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on May 15, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Salem Police Department’s Strategic Investigation Unit. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
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