A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to nearly a decade in prison for threatening to kill Jewish Florida Representative Randy Fine and his family.
Edwin Guerrero, 26, received nine years and 11 months in federal prison, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday. The sentence also includes a $15,000 fine. Guerrero had made antisemitic social media posts and threats between Aug. 10 and 15, according to the department.
Investigators traced the posts to a Spanish IP address, which they linked to Guerrero. After he returned to the United States, he admitted to law enforcement that he sent the messages, the Justice Department said. A search of his phone revealed antisemitic and anti-Israel content, including the phrase “Israel should burn in hell.”
The posts specifically targeted Fine, who is Jewish and wears a kippah, and his children. The messages referred to Fine being “scared of getting your brains blown in,” and added, “don’t worry, your two, little precious Jewish boys will suffer the same fate,” according to the department.
Fine, who was a member of the Florida state House at the time of the threats, spoke out after the sentencing about the impact on his family.
“I never thought my sons would be the victims of a violent federal felony,” Fine stated. “On Aug. 14, 2024, we sent David to his first day of junior high. We planned to celebrate as a family when he came home.”
“Instead, he arrived that afternoon to a swarm of police to protect him from a Muslim terrorist, who said that this ‘precious Jewish boy’ would have his ‘brains blown in,'” Fine stated.
Fine delivered a stern warning to others who might consider similar actions. “Threats against any elected official are unacceptable,” he said. “Threaten violence against an elected official in Florida or their family, and your life as you know it is over.”
The Justice Department did not identify Guerrero’s faith. The case drew federal prosecution in the Middle District of Florida, where U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe emphasized the gravity of such threats.
“Threats of intimidation or harm against public officials or anyone for their political or religious beliefs will not be tolerated,” Kehoe stated. “We will take such acts seriously and prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Fine has been outspoken about antisemitism throughout his political career. The threats came during a period of heightened concern about violence against Jewish Americans, though the specific timing coincided with his son’s transition to junior high school, making the personal impact particularly acute for the family.
The sentence of nearly 10 years reflects the federal government’s approach to treating threats against elected officials and their families as serious felonies, particularly when they cross state or international boundaries.