Kentucky man sentenced for threats against Rep. Thomas Massie and unnamed US senator

Hannah Pinski, Lexington Herald-Leader on Aug 17, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky man was sentenced to more than two years in prison Friday after making threats of violence against lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie.

Benjamin Keebler, 55, of Florence, will serve two and a half years in federal prison, which was handed down in Covington by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning. The sentencing comes after Keebler pleaded guilty in March for cyberstalking and threatening communications.

While Massie, who represents Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, is not named in the court documents, prosecutors said Keebler made threatening calls and voicemails to numbers associated with Massie. That included calling Massie’s offices in Washington, D.C., which happened over more than a two-year period starting in 2023.

Keebler also threatened a senator, whose office is based in Nebraska, saying someone should do a “hammer visit” at the senator’s house. The senator is not named in the court documents.

Prosecutors said Keebler intended to harass Massie and his staff. In court filings, prosecutors said Keebler’s calls and threats were motivated by his disagreement with the lawmakers’ beliefs.

According to court documents, one of the calls Keebler made in 2025 was to ask about the date of Massie’s next town hall meeting so that he could “shoot (Massie) in the head.” A few months prior, Massie had introduced firearms legislation.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss two out of the four counts that were part of his January indictment as part of the plea deal. As part of his sentence, Keebler must participate in mental health treatment after being released from prison and cannot have contact with either congressman.

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