A Kentucky man has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison for making violent threats against U.S. lawmakers and other officials, including a Republican representative from Kentucky and a senator.

Benjamin Keebler, 55, of Florence, will serve two and a half years in prison under a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning in Covington.

Keebler pleaded guilty in March to cyberstalking and threatening communications. Prosecutors stated he made threatening calls and voicemails targeting numbers associated with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) over more than two years beginning in 2023, including direct contact with Massie’s Washington, D.C., offices.

Keebler also threatened a senator whose office is located in Nebraska, stating someone should conduct a “hammer visit” at the senator’s home.

According to court documents, one call Keebler made in 2025 asked about the date of Massie’s next town hall meeting so he could “shoot (Massie) in the head.” This followed Massie introducing firearms legislation earlier that year.

An audio recording allegedly references “deep state Massie,” and Keebler reportedly said in a February 2023 voicemail: “Live by the gun. Die by the gun, boy.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Boone testified that Keebler’s threats are “inherently corrosive to a democratic society.”

Voting records show Keebler is registered as an independent.

Keebler’s attorney, Marvin Knorr III, argued his client would not have made these threats if properly diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder. A doctor’s report stated Keebler’s “perception of the current aggressive and divisive political climate provided him with a reality-based ‘target’ to project his agitated depression and mania onto.”

Keebler admitted he let his mental health issues get the best of him, calling his actions a “complete embarrassment” and stating: “I recognize that by my own hand I have brought consequences upon myself.”

Judge David Bunning noted Keebler’s threats “completely crossed the line.”

As part of his sentence, Keebler is prohibited from contacting Massie or the senator and must participate in mental health treatment under government supervision.