Former Santa Cruz man convicted of threatening FBI agents

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - A former Santa Cruz resident was found guilty of threatening two FBI agents, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

After a week of trial, a federal jury convicted Brian Broderick, 32, on March 8 of one count of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement.

Prosecutors said evidence at trial showed that Broderick contacted the FBI a number of times in 2021 and 2022 to report several matters, including allegations concerning his former employer. On May 10, 2022, an FBI special agent sent him an email to follow up on his reports. 

Starting that date through June 1, 2022, Broderick sent a series of escalating and derogatory emails to multiple FBI agents, including the special agent who had responded to his previous reports. The U.S. Attorney's Office said that on June 1, 2022, Broderick sent an email telling two FBI agents he was "literally hunting" the "idiot traitor" agent who had initially reached out to him. 

Broderick also went on to warn the FBI: "You act on this in ... 24 hours, or I go beyond taking your livelihood."

On the same day, he posted on his YouTube channel a video he filmed of himself surveilling a local FBI office, prosecutors said.

Broderick faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.