Mercer County Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill White People

Joshua Cobb, 23, faces federal charges for online threats detailing plans for a racially motivated attack.

MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. - Joshua Cobb, a 23-year-old resident of Trenton, New Jersey, was arrested Friday night for transmitting threats via the internet to kill white people, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. Cobb has been charged with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce and is set to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah Singh in Trenton federal court.

Court documents reveal that on December 17, 2022, Cobb posted a message on social media expressing his desire to target and kill white people due to his personal struggles as a Black man. He mentioned planning an attack in 2023 in New Jersey, intending to strike on a significant holiday for people, and had already acquired two firearms.

In April and May 2023, Cobb made additional posts on another social media platform, expressing his aspiration to become a serial killer. He described the thrill of such acts and his hope to inflict suffering on others to reflect his own pain. Cobb joined the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2023 and was stationed in California until his recent discharge.

During the investigation, Cobb admitted to law enforcement that he authored the threatening posts and provided details on potential targets, including a Jersey Strong gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville, New Jersey. He also revealed his admiration for other mass shooters and discussed his access to firearms. A search of Cobb's cell phone uncovered further notes from April and May 2023, detailing his homicidal thoughts and plans for a future attack.

The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger commended the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, for their role in the investigation. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, agents from the FBI Field Office in Los Angeles, the Hamilton Police Division, the Robbinsville Police Department, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the National Security Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

The charges and allegations are accusations, and Cobb is presumed innocent until proven guilty.