CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — The name is Kristofer Goldsmith. He runs Task Force Butler, a non-profit that researches and exposes domestic extremism.
“I’m a nazi hunter ,” said Goldsmith.
Yes, a nazi hunter. Goldsmith who is Jewish and Army Veteran says he was seeing far too many fellow Veterans fall victim to being influenced by White Supremacy groups.
“Why did you get into this and why did you wanna do it?” I asked Goldsmith.
“I got into this because I don’t feel like I have a choice,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with the last name, Goldsmith. I’ve been dealing with anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish attacks for as I’ve been a person operating in public and online.”
The FBI reports domestic extremism has been on the rise for the past decade. But, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, anti-semitic cases involving physical assault, harassment, and vandalism have spiked 360% in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
“We’re not going to simply stand by as extremist and neo-nazis go and threaten individuals and marginalize communities – we’re going to put them on defense – we’re going to drag them into court, whether civil or criminal by gathering evidence of criminality and holding them accountable in a court of law,” said Goldsmith.
This brings us to this court of law in Madison County, North Carolina. Thomas Vance Pollock is on trial for threatening Goldsmith’s 65-year-old mother, who lives in the Asheville area. Goldsmith says it all began in December 2022.
“My mother came home to a Christmas-themed bag, with her first name on it, hanging on her mailbox. Inside was a book about a mother that gets separated from their child,” said Goldsmith. “On the cover of the book was a picture of Hitler with Mein Kampf. On the back was a sticker that said ‘Antifa-FBI cooperation.’ So it was a specific anti-Jewish death threat or kidnapping threat made against my mother and made against me to intimidate me and Task Force Butler from doing our work,” said Goldsmith.
Pollock was charged by Madison County authorities with a misdemeanor of stalking.
About that time, Queen City News ran a story where we interviewed Pollock on a subject he knows a lot about, William Pelley , a known extremist who tried to bring the Nazi movement to western North Carolina back in the 1930s and 40s. Pollock, working at a local library at the time, claimed to be a historian of the movement. Goldsmith saw our story at his home in New York and immediately contacted Queen City News, and that’s where we began to follow this story.
“Mr. Pollock has not been hiding his neo-nazi propaganda habit at all,” said Goldsmith.
According to court documents, Pollock goes by the name of American Archvillain when posting online. Goldsmith says he and his attorneys later provided evidence to Madison County authorities of Pollock admitting to delivering the book in an online post.
“Mr. Pollock went on to admit to an FBI agent when he was interviewed about this, that yes he did this and that yes he did this for the purpose of intimidating me. He called it agitation propaganda. Mr. Pollock was filmed doing this, his license plate captured on camera and he freely admitted it and he thought he had done nothing wrong when he hand-delivered a death threat to me and my family,” said Goldsmith.
Pollock’s charges were eventually upgraded to a felony.
“The ultimate goal of neo-nazis like Mr. Pollock is to destroy our democracy, to collapse our democracy in on itself, by dividing Americans and making them feel like they’ve lost hope in our government.”
Back in court in Madison County, Queen City News was inside as the three-day trial wrapped up within an hour. The all-white jury, nine women and three men, unanimously convicted Thomas Vance Pollock on one felony count.
The judge sentenced Pollock to a minimum of six months in jail. He is incarcerated right now in the Granville Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina.
Below are records obtained by the Court Reporter in Madison County for the Pollok v. Goldsmith.
THE COURT: All right. Then at this time, I’m going to ask, members of the jury, you have returned as your unanimous verdict in 23 CRS 223712, the State of North Carolina versus Thomas Vance Pollock, a verdict of guilty for placing an exhibit with the intention of intimidating another.
If this is your unanimous verdict, please answer by raising your hand.
All right, all 12 jurors have raised their hands.
And with regard to the special question on the verdict sheet, “Who did the defendant have the intent to intimidate,” the boxes for Linda Miller and Kristofer Goldsmith have been checked.
If that is your unanimous verdict, each of you please raise your hand. All right.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m going to note for the record that each of you has agreed and ascended to the verdict in this case, so we will let the record reflect that each juror has raised his or her hand indicating the unanimous consent to the verdicts that are indicated on the verdict sheet, so the Court will accept the verdict and order Madam Clerk that you record the verdict.
(Judge thanks jury for service and how to get excuse notes for work)
THE COURT: Mr. Pollock, I’ll be glad to hear from you before the Court imposes a sentence in this case.
MR. POLLOCK: I have nothing to say, Your Honor.
THE COURT: All right.
Well, the Court has heard the evidence, the jury has heard the evidence in this case, and as the unanimous verdict have returned a verdict of guilty in this matter. And so the Court’s judgment will be as follows:
Madam Clerk, this is a Class H felony as indicated by statute. He is a prior record Level I in this matter with zero points.
The judgment of the Court will be that he serve a minimum of 6 months, maximum of 17 months in the Department of Adult Corrections. I’m going to waive the cost in this matter.
And, Mr. Sheriff, he’s in your custody.
MR. POLLOCK: Your Honor, may I? I would like to dedicate this trial to Chadwick Seagraves.
THE COURT: All right, sir. Thank you very much.
Seagraves was a known extremist with links to the extremist group the Proud Boys. He was killed in a house fire two years ago near Raleigh.
Queen City News reached out to Pollock while in jail but did not get a response. We also reached out to the District Attorney for a comment on the conviction in this case and did not hear back.
It’s been a long road for Kristofer Goldsmith, one that will continue. Today was justification for the work he does to combat anti-Semitism and acts of hate in the United States. And it brought some closure for him and his family.
Immediately after the trial concluded, QCN caught up with Goldsmith on his way out of court and asked, “You’re thoughts on the verdict?”
Goldsmith responds, “I’m very satisfied. I think the District Attorney did a fantastic job. I think the jury came to the right decision. I’m glad the judge is putting him away for a minimum of six months.”
Pollock when he was sentenced showed no remorse. Goldsmith responds, “That’s correct, Mr. Pollock is not remorseful, at the end he said he wanted to dedicate this trial to a Proud Boy who is considered a martyr for him.”
As Pollock’s family came out of court they told QCN that there was more to come out on Goldwmith and that he was not clean in this. In response, Goldsmith told QCN, “I have no doubt that Mr. Pollock and his neo-nazi friends are going to attempt to continue to intimidate me. I hope they understand now that there are legal consequences for doing so.”
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