A Canandaigua man has been charged with making threats to harm attendees at a holiday Christmas market event in Rochester, New York. Michael J. Keitz, 56, faces a federal charge of interstate transmission of threats to injure others. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, the investigation began after the Director of the Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum received an email on November 5, 2025, from justonstclair0@gmail.com with the subject “$20,000 donation consideration.” The sender expressed interest in donating but wanted to visit first. Over several days, there was further correspondence about upcoming events and a possible visit.
On November 7, 2025, the museum director received another email from the same address with the subject “DEATH TO THE JEWS.” This message included threats to bring “death and destruction” to an event scheduled at the museum that weekend and referenced “swift justice worse than OCTOBER 7th.” As a result of this threat, the event was canceled, leading to approximately $10,000 in lost expenses and significant revenue loss.
Keitz was taken into custody by Canandaigua Police on November 9 on an unrelated matter. During their investigation, officers determined that Keitz owned the email account used for both messages and that they were sent from Wood Library in Canandaigua.
Keitz has previous felony convictions at both state and federal levels. He is currently on federal supervised release following a 2021 bank robbery conviction for which he served seven years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo commented: “A threat by any individual to harm a large number of people in a public setting is concerning and something that our Office takes very seriously. Residents of the Western District of New York deserve to move around their community freely, whether it be everyday activities or attending a holiday event. The threats made in this case were quickly traced to the defendant, who will now be held accountable for his actions.”
Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office added: “Today’s federal arrest of Michael Keitz should serve as a warning for those who use the internet to threaten violence and terrorize people. Unfortunately, the FBI continues to see threats of violence all too often – in person and online. The FBI takes all acts or threats of violence seriously and is committed to working side-by-side with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our communities.”
Keitz appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and remains detained pending further proceedings.
The investigation involved cooperation between multiple agencies including Canandaigua Police Department under Chief Mathew Nielsen; New York State Police led by Major Kevin Sucher; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Authorities emphasized that criminal charges are accusations only; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
