Staten Island Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Illegal Firearm

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Brian Maiorana was sentenced by United States District Judge Frederic Block to 36 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Maiorana pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2021.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

"This sentencing demonstrates that individuals, like the defendant, who espouse violent views on social media concerning the 'extermination' and 'assassination' with 'pipebombs' and 'firearms' of those who don't share their hateful, bigoted views, and who illegally possess guns and ammunition will be brought to justice," stated United States Attorney Peace. "Our nation is facing a fatal epidemic of racism and hatred, and this Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to remove the illegal guns that turn these social media trolls into dangerous criminals, with the capacity to do irreparable harm to our communities. This Office and our law enforcement partners are so grateful that we apprehended the defendant before he turned his violent social media rants into fatal actions, and that we are not once again grieving a mass shooting."

Beginning in September 2020, Maiorana used a social media platform to post multiple threats to kill protestors, politicians and law enforcement officers and to encourage others to do the same. For example, on October 19, 2020, Maiorana posted that "[i]ts come to the point where pipe bombs need to be thrown into these mobs of potentially non violent violent protesters." On or about November 5, 2020, Maiorana posted, "The carnage needs to come in the form of extermination of anyone that claims to be democrat…as well as their family members." On November 8, 2020, following the news media's projection of the result of the 2020 Presidential Election, Maiorana posted that "The Turner Diaries must come to life. We blow up the FBI building for real." The investigation culminated in the execution of a court-ordered search warrant of the defendant's Staten Island residence where members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force seized a semiautomatic .45 caliber Glock handgun, two magazines loaded with .45 caliber ammunition, .22 caliber ammunition, and "ghost gun" parts for a .22 caliber firearm. A taser, a crossbow, an expandable baton, a skull balaclava, and a copy of the "Anti-Government Movement Guidebook" were also recovered. Maiorana has a previous felony conviction from Pennsylvania for statutory sexual assault, stemming from a sexual relationship he had with a 13-year old that began when the defendant was 38.

The government's case is being handled by the Office's National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Jonathan E. Algor are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

BrIAN MAIORANA
Age: 55
Staten Island, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-519 (FB)