ALBANY — The fate of a reputed white supremacist from Gloversville could be decided by the early summer.
After facing several delays, Luke Kenna, 44, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14 at 10:30 a.m. for his role in a Johnstown heist plot.
Kenna, who is currently being detained in Fulton County jail, pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges in August. He could face up to 15 years behind bars and a fine of $250,000.
The case dates back to late 2022 when Kenna — pronounced Ken-eh — discussed plans to rob a North Comrie Avenue bank with co-conspirators Michael Brown Jr. of Virginia and Brian Tierney of Pennsylvania. Using code language, the trio spoke over an encrypted group chat titled with the Nazi “SS'' symbol.
If attempted, the heist would’ve occurred in January 2023.
“Looks like we’re getting this paper Jew money while it lasts,” Kenna texted Brown. “Just in time to invest in bigger and better things.”
Ultimately, Kenna was spotted by Gloversville police on Nov. 26, 2022 at a traffic stop on Bleecker Street. Found was a handcrafted gun, a clad of body armor and a radio jammer. Authorities subsequently seized his phone and uncovered the secret group chat.
State and local police, along with FBI agents working out of field offices in Albany, Philadelphia and Richmond, Virginia, were all involved in the investigation into all three men, who were also slapped with criminal charges.
At one point before they were caught, Kenna warned Tierney and Brown and said that the operation was compromised by anti-fascist bloggers, but intended to move forward regardless.
All three men have been linked to white supremacist causes. Brown is known to run a neo-Nazi Telegram channel and Kenna has espoused Nordic-themed Neo-Nazi messaging across Instagram.
Kenna didn’t always hold such reputed interests. Before joining Operation Werewolf, a subsidiary of the Wolves of Vinland white supremacist group, he reportedly struggled with drug and alcohol addiction.
“From there I cleaned up the drug addictions and switched them back to more healthy ones like lifting and training,” he wrote in a personal blog post.
He had previously worked as a bar manager, and later as a private contractor for Kingsboro Golf Club, before he was terminated for “gross misconduct,” according to former employer Tanyalynette Grimes.
In his last court appearance, he said that he was involved in training and construction while describing himself as "basically an entrepreneur."
In November 2022, Kenna wrote in a diary entry obtained by law enforcement: “It’s coming up to the end of the year and I am flat broke with nothing but a gun and a dream.”
The local man wrote in one text uncovered by authorities that he planned to stop by a former employer and “throw some terror into them for payback.” He also sought to grab some “funds” there.