Joshua Ryne Goldberg | |
---|---|
Born | |
Other names | Australi Witness, Tanya Cohen, Madotsuki the Dreamer, MoonMetropolis, European88, Michael Slay, AustWitness, AusWitness |
Criminal status | Released |
Conviction(s) | Attempted malicious damage and destruction of a building using an explosive (18 U.S.C. § 844) |
Criminal penalty | 10 years imprisonment plus lifetime of supervised release |
Date apprehended | September 9, 2015 |
Joshua Ryne Goldberg (born May 14, 1995) is an American internet troll,[1] convicted of attempting a bombing on the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks[2] while posing as an Islamic terrorist affiliated with ISIS.[3][4][5]
Goldberg first received law-enforcement and media attention under his Twitter handle "Australi Witness" following the Curtis Culwell Center attack, a terrorist attack on a Garland, Texas exhibit featuring images of Muhammad in May 2015, in which two assailants died in a shootout with police.[2] The "Australi Witness" persona had, posing as a Perth jihadist, called for an attack on, and posted maps of, the center where the exhibit was taking place. "Australi Witness" was retweeted by one of the assailants before the attack, and praised the jihadist attackers in its aftermath.[6] Goldberg claimed credit for the attack;[7] he also allegedly planned terrorist attacks in Australia.[8]
Goldberg had many online identities and spent "huge amounts" of time on the internet.[7] In addition to promoting terrorism, he made thousands of troll posts advocating for liberal feminism, neo-Nazism, and other ideologies.
Initially charged with distributing information about bomb-making techniques in connection with a planned attack on a 2015 Kansas City 9/11 memorial event,[9] Goldberg's trial was suspended pending efforts by doctors to return him to competence[10] after it emerged that he had a history of mental illness.[11] Goldberg was returned to competency and on December 20, 2017, pleaded guilty to federal charges of attempted malicious damage and destruction by an explosive of a building.[2][12] On June 25, 2018, Goldberg was sentenced to ten years in federal prison and lifetime supervision.[13]
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