Snohomish man with Neo-Nazi ties convicted of federal gun crimes

Kyle Benton, a 29-year-old Army veteran from Snohomish, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for possessing unregistered machine guns and promoting neo-Nazi ideology. The U. S. Department of Justice disclosed that Benton provided firearms training to various white supremacist groups. He was arrested in September 2024 when FBI agents discovered a machine gun in his closet during a search warrant execution.

Benton had posted a video online demonstrating the weapon in full automatic mode. He pleaded guilty to two counts of firearm offenses, which could have led to a combined maximum of 25 years in prison. Investigators had tracked Benton’s online activities since 2019, revealing his advocacy for racially motivated violence and support for a white supremacist homeland in the Pacific Northwest. Law enforcement expressed concerns over the infiltration of extremist ideologies within military ranks. Benton’s case highlights the broader issue of domestic extremism in America.