Aquebogue man charged with threatening city's Jewish community, police say

The Aquebogue man arrested late Friday in Penn Station after he allegedly made online threats to New York City’s Jewish community told investigators he has a “sick personality” and tweeted that he was going to ask a priest "if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die," court documents said. 

Christopher Brown, 21, was charged Sunday with making a terroristic threat, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other weapons charges, according to court documents. Brown, who acknowledged to police that he operated a white supremacist group on Twitter, was denied bail at his arraignment in Manhattan on Sunday and is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday. 

Brown was arrested late Friday as he entered Penn Station, according to the court records. The NYPD said they recovered an 8-inch military knife and a swastika armband at the time of his arrest. An illegal Glock 17 firearm and a 30-round magazine were recovered from the Manhattan apartment of Brown’s co-defendant, Matthew Mahrer, 22.

“As alleged, the two defendants possessed a firearm, a high-capacity magazine, ammunition, an 8” long military-style knife, a swastika arm patch, a ski mask and a bullet proof vest, among other things,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement to Newsday. “A potential tragedy was averted when they were intercepted by police officers at Penn Station, given that online postings indicated an intent to use these weapons at a Manhattan synagogue.”

Brown was represented by Legal Aid attorney Arthur Mendola at his arraignment. A spokesman for Legal Aid declined to comment. 

Mahrer, with an address on West 94th Street, was arraigned late Saturday and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other weapons charges. Bail for Mahrer was set at $150,000 cash or $300,000 bond, according to a Bragg spokeswoman.

Brown drew the attention of the NYPD after making several inflammatory statements on Twitter in recent weeks, according to court documents. “Gonna ask a Priest if I should become a husband or shoot up a synagogue and die,” Brown said in one tweet. 

According to court documents, Brown told investigators that he met Mahrer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday “and wanted to get the blessing.” They then drove to Pennsylvania with a friend of Mahrer’s named Jay to purchase a gun. Brown said he paid $650 for the weapon after they arrived at Jay’s home in Pennsylvania but changed his mind because he was worried about the police. 

Mahrer bought the weapon instead and the two returned to Manhattan, Brown told the NYPD. 

“I have a sick personality,” Brown said, according to court records. “I was going to be a coward and blow my brains out with it. It took me three years to finally buy the gun.”

Brown acknowledged to investigators that the threats that caught the NYPD’s attention came from his Twitter account. 

“Matt is one of my followers,” he said, according to court documents. “I have Nazi paraphernalia in my house. I think it is really cool.”

Friday's arrests come a little more than a week after the Nov. 10 arrest of an 18-year-old New Jersey man, said by the FBI office in Newark to have posted “a broad security risk” to synagogues in that state. On Nov. 4, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said because of the FBI warning in New Jersey, the NYPD was designating more police resources to protect Jewish houses of worship.

Police on Long Island said they have increased security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions as a result of the threats from Brown. 

“The Nassau County Police Department has been involved in this investigation from the inception, working with our law-enforcement partners,” Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

Suffolk police said they, too, are on the alert for hate crimes. 

“While we continue to communicate with our law enforcement partners, there is currently no credible threat in Suffolk County,” the department said in a statement. 

Also on Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the State Police are increasing surveillance and protection for Jewish communities and other communities at risk for hate crimes. 

"The State Police will work in close coordination with our state, local and federal partners to keep all our communities safe from violence,” Acting Superintendent Stephen A. Nigrelli said in a statement.