Neo-Nazi leader jailed as death threats made
A San Jose White supremacist who went by the screen name King ov Wrath is accused of sending death threats to a Brooklyn journalist who reported on his extremist group, federal authorities allege.
Nicholas Welker, 31, who used to head the Feuerkrieg Division, or FKD, was arrested Tuesday in San Jose, where he lives, according to prosecutors in Brooklyn.
The Anti-Defamation League describes the group as a “small international neo-Nazi group that advocates for a race war,” and it has ties to the Atomwaffen Division, a White supremacist group that has been linked to five murders in the U.S.
Welker is charged with spearheading a 2021 death threat campaign against the journalist, who interviewed members of his group for a national news outlet. Court documents do not name the reporter or the news organization.
Welker, who also used the screen names ilovehate5150 and DankTree2316, allegedly conspired with two minors to create and send out an image in August and September of 2021 that threatened the reporter, according to authorities.
The image included the reporter's photo with a gun to his head, with the words “Race Traitor” covering his eyes,” the feds said. “JOURNALIST F— OFF! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.” the image reads. “Responsible for Stalking our Boys for Information.”
On Sept. 5, one of the minors whom Welker allegedly conspired with tweeted directly at the reporter to let him know about the threat, prosecutors said.
According to a federal complaint, “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.”
Welker, whose case will be heard in Brooklyn Federal Court, could face five years in prison if convicted.
“He sought to quell freedom of expression and to intimidate and instill fear in a journalist and the journalist's employer a well-known news media organization,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. “We will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten the core values on which our society was founded, including freedom of the press.”