A New York man has been formally charged and indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly threatening to murder a Department of Homeland Security officer and his family, as well as making threats to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on social media.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York formally indicted Matthew White last week on charges of threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer and interstate communication of a threat to injure a person. Those charges carry up to 10 years in prison. White was arraigned on Thursday, Jan. 8, and released on conditions.
As of publication, the 43-year-old White’s X account, @MatthewWhi17466, remained live. Federal prosecutors have confirmed that the account belongs to White, who was apprehended last July.
According to the criminal complaint, United States Homeland Security Investigations agents confronted White at the Sakura Buffet restaurant in Lakewood, N.Y., last June. White voluntarily spoke to agents and eventually admitted to making the posts, one of which involved threatening to murder an ICE agent and his children. After initially denying making the post, White recanted and explained his reasoning for the post.
Matthew White of Jamestown, N.Y., threatened to kill ICE personnel, DHS administrators and federal workers’ children.
He posted his VILE threats to social media throughout April including:
📌 “I can’t wait to put a bullet into this guy’s brain, but first his children.”
📌 “Kill… https://t.co/7BnlJIB9nC
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) July 10, 2025
“I’m not going to do it,” White said. “I have no intention of doing it. I’m not a violent person … it seems like it but I’m not. To me it’s just like saying like … if you’re going to go beat someone up, it doesn’t mean you’re going to actually do it.”
In another post, White wrote, “Kill them all, ICE is the new age Gestapo, hurt them.” White also wrote that he would die “trying to fight for democracy,” even if it meant killing an ICE agent.
“You want to play Civil War, let’s play [expletive],” he wrote on April 30.
In addition to threatening ICE, some of his posts include language that can be interpreted as threatening President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet. In one post, White called Trump a “deranged lunatic” and wrote that “watching him rot is a pleasure I look forward to.” He also frequently compared ICE agents to the Ku Klux Klan. During his conversation with agents, White allowed local law enforcement to access his phone.
Why would I harm them? They’re the ones who have to live with themselves not me.
— Matthew White (@MatthewWhi17466) May 23, 2025
A GoFundMe page was created last July to raise $6,000 for White’s legal fees. The GoFundMe argues that White, who identifies as a gay Black man, is a “marginalized person in our community” and needs mental health support.
“Please help us keep our friend home and safe from this horrific and traumatic experience,” the GoFundMe reads. “No one should have to serve prison time for having a bad day and vocalizing intrusive thoughts.”
As of publication, the GoFundMe had only raised $366.
