Two Kansas men men are now convicted felons after pleading guilty in separate cases involving posting threats on social media to murder federal officials.

According to the US Department of Justice, court documents indicated Adam Lee Osborn, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure. In January 2026, Wichita police officers learned Osborn had posted threats on his social media page saying he wanted to murder Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He wrote, “I’m going to kill Ilhan Omar!”. He also posted a photo of himself holding an AR-15 style rifle in one hand and a 30-round magazine with live ammunition in the other hand. When officers went to Osborn’s residence to question him, he confirmed writing the posts. He said while he had no intention of personally harming anyone, he made the statements to “maybe provoke someone to handle business.” He advised officers that by “handle business” he meant to “take ‘em out.” He stated that by “take ‘em out” he meant “kill them”.

In a separate case, according to court documents, Joaquin Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure. In January 2026, Hernandez posted a social media video where he threatened to shoot Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents point blank if he saw them in Wichita. Hernandez admits to making the statements knowing that his threat against ICE wasn’t mere political argument or in a joking manner.

“Our country prides itself on being one where people can express their political views, but they must do so in a responsible manner. These two defendants crossed the line into criminality by making threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Threats of political violence are illegal and won’t be tolerated.”

“The First Amendment protects every individual’s right to free speech. However, it is not a shield for enticing violence or criminal activity. Anyone who advocates violence or communicates a
credible threat against public officials, law enforcement, or any individual should expect swift and thorough response from the FBI. We will investigate these matters aggressively with assistance from our law enforcement partners and United States Attorney’s Office by pursuing every available legal avenue to hold offenders accountable,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.