PENNSBORO, W.Va. — A Ritchie County man faces 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to threatening ICE agents online.
U.S. Attorneys said Christopher Bentley, 34, of Pennsboro, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to solicitation to commit a crime of violence. He was charged with making intimidating posts on his Facebook page, reportedly calling for attacks on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel. According to U.S. Attorneys, the posts detailed what body armor ICE agents wore, what weapons could break through the protection, and where the vulnerable areas on agents were.
“Targeting federal law enforcement officers is not just dangerous — it is an attack on the rule of law itself,” U.S. Attorney for Northern West Virginia Matthew Harvey said. “Soliciting violence online is a serious federal crime, and we will respond decisively to protect the men and women who keep our communities safe.”
Bentley’s sentencing date has not been announced.