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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Mississippi man will spend more than two years in prison after he reportedly made threats to start a race war.

According to the United States Department of Justice, 21-year-old Aubrey Suzuki was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for “transmitting a communication in interstate commerce containing a threat to injure the person of another.”

Suzuki, of Nesbit, reportedly communicated with members of a white nationalist group through encrypted messages. The DOJ says Suzuki made several statements about white supremacist ideology and Nazism.

According to the DOJ, authorities got involved when Suzuki began making threats to “accelerate and wage a race war in the United States.”

One of the messages read, ” Honestly I don’t want to be a normal person. I want to breathe revolution. I want to be in the middle of the boondocks with my mates killing n****** sp*** fa***** and blowing up the system.”

The DOJ says that while agents were investigating the messages, they learned that Suzuki was trying to buy an AR-15 from an online dealer. He was soon arrested.

U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner released a statement about the case:

“The defendant in this case made credible threats to shoot members of various minority groups, and then purchased a semi-automatic rifle. While all Americans enjoy a constitutional right to free speech, that right does not include a right to threaten or terrorize other individuals. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute such conduct, and the agents and prosecutors who worked to stop this potential mass shooting are to be commended.”

The DOJ says the FBI investigated the case. FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby also released a statement:

“Mr. Aubrey Suzuki sought to intimidate members of the community through his threats. The FBI prioritizes the protection of civil rights to ensure citizens remain safe without fear of any harm. We remain committed to tirelessly thwarting the nefarious actions of those, like Mr. Suzuki, who intend to impart fear upon citizens based on biases.”