Kyle Andrew Edwards, 59, of Alexander, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on May 6 to a federal charge of posting the home address of a United States Supreme Court Justice online with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite violence. The announcement was made by Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case highlights concerns about the risks posed by "doxxing," which involves publishing personal identifying information without consent and can lead to threats or actual harm against public officials. According to court documents related to Edwards' plea and hearing, from April through June 2026 he used a publicly accessible social media account to post comments critical of certain Supreme Court Justices. Many posts were threatening in nature or responded to other users' threatening comments.
Edwards admitted in court that he knowingly made public restricted personal information—the home address of a Supreme Court Justice—with the intent that it be used for intimidation or violence against that person or their family. On April 8, 2025, he posted the correct home address of one Justice and partial information about two others’ neighborhoods or former addresses. On June 27 and June 29, 2025, Edwards posted messages including “the Supreme Court ‘must be destroyed’” and that one Justice should “buy Kevlar robes.” He also wrote online that another Justice’s address was unavailable “to prevent people from assassinating him,” warned Justices their families were not safe if they thought otherwise, encouraged others to “start dragging the SC out by their robes,” and said Justices should be turned “into charcoal.”
“Doxxing is dangerous. It exposes officials to all sorts of people that may cause harm, and that harm may be even worse than the doxxer expected or intended,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “That is why we take it seriously. Threatening or harming federal officials is not the way to change policy. If you want to change policy, get involved and go vote.”
Edwards was released on bond after his guilty plea. The maximum penalty for his offense is five years in prison; sentencing will follow based on advisory guidelines and statutory factors at a date yet undetermined.
The case was investigated by the Supreme Court Police - Protective Intelligence Unit.
In an unrelated matter announced in this release as well: Wyatt Austin Salus of Cullowhee received three years probation after pleading guilty on April 23 for making interstate threats against Senator Thom Tillis in March last year.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina prosecutes federal crimes—including cases involving threats against public officials—and handles civil matters within its jurisdiction covering parts of western North Carolina such as portions of Great Smoky Mountains National Park; it employs nearly 100 prosecutors and staff across offices in Charlotte and Asheville while advancing public safety initiatives like those addressing elder abuse according to the official website.
