Hunt County Man Sentenced for Making False Statement to FBI

A Hunt County man who operated a website espousing anti-Semitic beliefs was sentenced to federal prison for lying to the FBI about possessing firearms.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas issued a press release about the sentencing on Wednesday.

According to the press release, 65-year-old Carey Todd Edwards was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle. The charge was making a false statement to the FBI.

According to court documents, FBI agents interviewed Edwards outside of his home in Quinlan on July 26, 2023, after receiving information about his online activity.

"During the sentencing hearing, the court noted that Edwards operated a website espousing anti-Semitic beliefs, affiliated closely with another anti-Semitic website, and supported the separation of the races," the press release states.

During the July 2023 interview, Edwards reportedly admitted he was a convicted felon and acknowledged possessing a shotgun and pistol inside his residence.

However, when agents returned the next day with a federal search warrant, the firearms were gone. In a follow-up video, Edwards denied ever having guns. He later admitted that statement was false and that he had removed the firearms from his home before the search warrant was executed.

The court noted that Edwards's online activity, criminal record, and firearms ownership could be perceived as threatening toward the Jewish community in North Texas.

Boyle concluded that Edwards made the false statements in order to obstruct the FBI's investigation into whether he had illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon.