A resident of Mercer County in New Jersey has confessed to making violent threats online against members of the white community, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. Joshua Cobb, a 24-year-old from Trenton, pleaded guilty to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce in federal court. The sentencing is scheduled for May 20, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton.
Alleged Online Threats and Attack Plans
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Documents filed in this case and statements made in court reveal that on December 17, 2022, Cobb utilized a social media platform to author numerous posts expressing threats of harm towards individuals of white ethnicity.
“I want to cause mayhem on the white community. The reason i specifically want to target white people is because as a black male, they will NEVER understand my struggles. Same way I will never understand their struggles, but I don’t care to. I want to erase them. All of them really, but in this case as many as I possibly can.”
“As of today I have officially began planning my attack. It is going to take place in 2023 in the state of New Jersey, I have not chosen a exact date but I am going to be sure it is close to an important holiday to their race. I have a location in mind already which I have frequented for the past year and I am certain nobody there is armed to be able to stop me from spraying them to the ground. I have already acquired 2 of the 4 firearms I plan to use for my attack, and I also know my entry and exit points already after the mayhem…”
“White people are going to feel my pain in 2023. I will be certain I send as many as I possible can to the deepest pits of hell. I am going to wipe those ugly smiles completely off their faces. I dream of a day of pure evil on them. I plan to allow every evil spirit to work entirely through me and kill as many as i can. Some will get extra rounds through their head.”
“And you guys can think I’m a troll all you want. Just pay close attention the news, you will see my aftermath. And I will be sure I kill myself after I finish my terrorism.”
“White men and women in New Jersey, get ready. You are going to feel my pain very fucking soon. I put that on my life. From here on out I don’t want to talk, my rounds are going to, after they exit the back of all your heads. Get ready New Jersey. The devil is coming.”
Sending a threat across state lines is a federal offense that can result in a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. The sentencing will occur in federal court in Trenton, and Judge Kirsch will determine Cobb’s ultimate punishment.
Investigation and Prosecution
Special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Driscoll, were credited by Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna for their diligent investigation. He expressed his gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the FBI Field Office in Los Angeles, the Hamilton Police Department, the Robbinsville Police Department, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for their collaborative efforts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit represents the government, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Cobb is considered innocent until the court delivers a final judgment during sentencing, just like in any criminal case. There is no additional information available regarding sentencing recommendations or plea agreements.