Defendant Threatened Journalist’s Life For Reporting on Violent Extremist Group

April 20, 2024 - On Friday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Nicholas Welker, also known as “King ov Wrath,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 44 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to make death threats.  Welker, the leader of Feuerkrieg Division (“FKD”), an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (“RMVE”) group, which translates to “War Fire,” posted death threats against a Brooklyn-based journalist (the “Journalist”) so that the Journalist would stop reporting on the Neo-Nazi group.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence. 

“Welker tried to silence a journalist from reporting on his white supremacist group so that his fellow extremists could continue to commit violence against racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “There were real victims of this crime—the journalist and his news media organization.  Today’s sentence demonstrates that we will stand up for them and other journalists who bravely report on these violent hate groups.” 

Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies.  Mr. Peace also thanked the Estonian Internal Security Service and Prosecutor’s Office for their valuable support.

According to court filings, Welker’s threat included a photograph of the Journalist with a gun aimed at his head and the words “Race Traitor” over the Journalist’s eyes.  The threat stated, “JOURNALIST F[***] OFF!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.”  The threat listed the Journalist and his employer by name.  Welker posted the threat to a public online forum.  Two under-aged FKD members tweeted the death threat directly at the Journalist’s social media handle so that he would see it.  Welker intended to frighten the Journalist into dropping his reporting on Welker’s hate group.

FKD members share a common goal of challenging laws, social order, and the government via terrorism and other violent acts.  The organization encourages attacks on racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the U.S. Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure.  FKD has members in the United States and abroad.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

The Defendant:

NiCHOLAS WELKER (also known as “King ov Wrath”)
Age: 33
San Jose, California

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-141 (PKC)
Source: DOJ Release