A Cornish man accused of making threats against the University of New England in Biddeford last fall has pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting a threatening interstate communication.

Blake Tibbetts, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday and faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release, according to a plea agreement.

Tibbetts was at a restaurant in Cornish on Sept. 14, 2025, when he said that “he had the urge to initiate an explosive device with the intent to harm others, specifically on a university campus,” prosecutors stated in court records.

A spokesperson for the State Fire Marshal’s Office said at the time that Tibbetts had allegedly made threats against UNE in Biddeford.

Tibbetts was arrested in Biddeford the following day. Court records say Tibbetts told law enforcement that “he snapped and started cooking up a plan to take out his anger on people” and that “his plan wasn’t really a good idea because it’s murder.” He also said that “based on his ’emotional opinion,’ some people deserve it,” prosecutors wrote.

Federal and state law enforcement searched Tibbetts’ home and electronic devices after the arrest, court records say. The Fire Marshal’s Office said officials discovered bomb-making devices at Tibbetts’ home.

During their search, investigators also discovered multiple emails notifying Tibbetts that his X account was locked for posts that violated the social media platform’s terms. Further analysis of his social media posts showed Tibbetts made a racially charged and threatening statement on Sept. 14, in which he told another user, “I’ll be paying your kind a visit VERY soon,” court records say.

“When the defendant made this post, he intended it as a threat and understood that it would be received as a threat to injure persons of another,” prosecutors wrote.

No sentencing hearing has been scheduled. Tibbetts’ attorney, Stephen Sweatt, said in an email Monday that the hearing could be months away, depending on the court’s schedule.

The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine said in a news release on Monday that the U.S. Probation Office will conduct a presentence investigation before sentencing.