FBI arrests Lubbock man after threats posted on right-wing website towards poll workers and their children

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Frederick Francis Goltz, 51, is being held at the Lubbock County Detention Center on a federal warrant after being arrested by the FBI on December 20. He is accused of posting a series of threatening messages on social media sites.

According to the criminal complaint, on November 13, 2022, the FBI National Threat Operations Center received information that a user called “FreeSpeechMaster” posted a threatening message on Patriots.win, a social media platform self-described as “the ultimate right-wing news, memes, and discussion aggregator.”

The complaint then says on November 14, “FreeSpeechMaster” posted, “Hypothetically, a mass shooting of poll workers and election officials in these highly suspect precincts might be the way to go.”

The comment was in response to a post titled, “Surprise, surprise, Nevada’s election monitoring cameras went out overnight on the 10th and then the votes started pouring in for the Democrat to finally take the lead. Any GOPer who refuses to acknowledge the rigging in 2020 and now 2022 needs to be EXCOMMUNICATED.”

According to the complaint, on November 21, 2022, “FreeSpeechMaster” posted the name, address, phone number, and fax number of an election poll worker and commented, “It would be a shame if someone got to [his] children. There are some crazies out there. This kind of info shouldn’t be readily available on the internet.”

This was in response to a post titled, “Maricopa County Attorney Caught On Camera Over ‘Canceled’ Ballots: ‘I Don’t Give a F***.’ They’re not even trying to hide it anymore. They are now scared to answer basic questions on inconsistencies in the AZ elections.”

The post continued, saying “Someone needs to get these people AND their children. The children are the most important message to send.”

The FBI contacted the election poll worker the user “FreeSpeechMaster” had targeted on November 23, 2022, to inform him of the posts. He told the FBI he felt afraid for himself and his family.

It was soon discovered that “FreeSpeechMaster” had an account on Gab, another social networking platform described as, “[a] social network that champions free speech, individual liberty, and the free flow of information online.” The account username was “@FreeSpeechMaster” and utilized the display name “ShootThePope.”

On November 23, 2022, “FreeSpeechMaster” made several posts about a county official in Maricopa County, Arizona including, “He’s got a WIFE that is a lawyer, too. We need to find out her name and where she works. I don’t think he has kids, but I’m not 100% on that,” according to the complaint.

The complaint then says when “FreeSpeechMaster” was confronted by another user saying “Kids are off limits,” “FreeSpeechMaster” responded, “No, NOTHING is off limits. It’s people like you that are supposedly with us, who don’t have the stomach to do whatever it takes to get our country back. That’s why we lose. They’ve come after our kids in every way possible and you have some aversion to targeting theirs? Thanks for letting me know what foxhole I DON’T want you in.”

On November 23, 2022, the FBI issued an Emergency Disclosure Request to Gab regarding the “FreeSpeechMaster” user account. Gab provided the FBI with the subscriber’s information, namely the IP address and the date the Gab account was created.

On November 30, 2023, the FBI submitted a subpoena for subscriber information to Vexus Fiber, the host for the IP address they obtained from Gab. Vexus provided the name address, phone number, and email address of the subscriber, identified as Fred Goltz of Lubbock, Texas; a Canadian citizen and legal permanent resident of the United States.

The FBI then cross-referenced other databases confirming the information obtained from Vexus. Goltz’s Texas driver’s license confirmed his physical and mailing address, and a search of law enforcement databases provided information on three vehicles associated with Goltz, a black Jeep Wrangler, a gray GMC Yukon, and a black Chevy Silverado.

The special agent carrying out the investigation conducted surveillance on Goltz’s residence and saw all three associated vehicles at his residence.

Goltz was arrested on December 20, 2022, and was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center where he remains pending trial. He is charged with interstate threatening communications and is being held without bond.

According to the complaint, the FBI compiled threatening messages made by Goltz on both Gab and Patriots.win dating from July 19, 2022, up to his arrest:

July 19 - I’d love to have the authority to execute every one of these people, their spouses, children, grandchildren, and anyone alive that is associated with them in the least little way.”

July 27 - “At this point, the only way to punish [a prominent American medical advisor] for his crimes are to execute him and everyone that helped him. I’m even in favor of going after his children and great-grandchildren.”

November 5 - “Time to start killing Canadian law enforcement AND their families. It’s important to get the families. This is what sends the message 100 years into the future.

November 16 - Regarding a prominent American Jewish politician, “I want to throw that Jew in an oven so badly, I can taste it.”

November 18 - “We are in dire need of a REAL holocaust, this time.”

December 1 - “Yeah, but when it’s me, I’m willing to take lives. That’s the difference. If you’re being unfairly and illegally persecuted, it’s built right into the constitution that you are supposed to protect yourself against a tyrannical government. This means their children are not off limits, either.”

Undated post - “The children are the most important ones to get because it sends a message 100 years into the future that people will pay the price for ‘sins of the father.’ Dead children burn into the memories of people. Dead adults are forgotten much easier.”

An order of detention pending trial was ordered on December 23, Goltz filed a motion for a review of order of detention which was denied today.

A trial date has not been set at this time.

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