Man who mailed bombs to Trump critics sentenced to 20 years (Cesar Sayoc)

The Hill ^ | 08/05/19 | Zack Budryk

[yesthatjallen]

A Florida man who pleaded guilty to mailing improvised explosive devices to prominent Democrats and media figures was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday, according to The Washington Post.

Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty to mailing 16 inactive pipe bombs to several prominent critics of President Trump, including 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former President Obama, actor Robert de Niro and liberal financier George Soros, as well as CNN ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff imposed a lighter sentence than the one recommended by prosecutors, who called for Sayoc to be sentenced to life in prison. Sayoc's lawyers, meanwhile, argued that heavy steroid use had made him delusional when he mailed the devices and asked for a 10-year sentence.

They further argued that heated rhetoric against Sayoc’s targets from Trump had exacerbated his instability.

“He truly believed wild conspiracy theories he read on the Internet, many of which vilified Democrats and spread rumors that Trump supporters were in danger because of them,” Sayoc’s lawyers wrote to the judge, according to the Post.

“He heard it from the President of the United States, a man with whom he felt he had a deep personal connection,” they added.

“I am beyond so very sorry for what I did,” Sayoc told Rakoff. “Now that I am a sober man, I know that I was a sick man. I should have listened to my mother, the love of my life.”

Prosecutors and defense attorneys also argued over whether the possibility, or lack thereof, that the bombs would detonate should affect his sentence.

“What counts is what he did, and what he intended at the time that he did it,” Rakoff said, according to the Post.

[Drango]

GOOD.

[Moonman62]

Cesar Sayoc pleaded guilty to mailing 16 inactive pipe bombs...

...

Fake bombs, fake article title.

[Innovative]

“16 inactive pipe bombs “

Yes, I remember reading at the time that they were fake bombs, would frighten people, but would not go off.

It was still a terrible thing to do, but I think 20 years is too much for it.

They should have made him do volunteer work for a few years.

[Berlin_Freeper]

mama issues.

[Zhang Fei]

Meanwhile, this man will get less than 1 year in prison, if convicted:

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/queens-man-fatally-hit-victim-didn-intend-kill-defense-article-1.2864566

[Mr. K]

IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THIS GUY IS A HARD-CORE LEFTIST, AND THOUGHT WOULD GET SYMPATHY FOR DEMOCRATS BY DOING THIS.

[El Cid]

My take is that Cesar was somebody's patsie. Not meaning to be insulting, but he came across as mentally challenged. There was a rather large kerfuffle when this came up a year ago (roughly) and it turned out that he sent nothing really 'dangerous'. Inactive 'stuff' that appeared to be dangerous. It was weird, because the person who sent it knew he'd be in big trouble - even if the stuff was basically harmless. I say 'basically' because the recipient would not know the stuff was fake, and he could have suffered a fatal heart attack. If nothing else - the diversion of important resources might have allowed real crimes to occur elsewhere.
Nonetheless, 20 years seems awfully harsh - and I'd still like to know who put him up to this lame-brain idea.

[El Cid]

My take is that Cesar was somebody's patsie. Not meaning to be insulting, but he came across as mentally challenged. There was a rather large kerfuffle when this came up a year ago (roughly) and it turned out that he sent nothing really 'dangerous'. Inactive 'stuff' that appeared to be dangerous. It was weird, because the person who sent it knew he'd be in big trouble - even if the stuff was basically harmless. I say 'basically' because the recipient would not know the stuff was fake, and he could have suffered a fatal heart attack. If nothing else - the diversion of important resources might have allowed real crimes to occur elsewhere.
Nonetheless, 20 years seems awfully harsh - and I'd still like to know who put him up to this lame-brain idea.

[Zathras]

I think you are correct.

[BenLurkin]

Should have said they were clocks.

[lee martell]

You screwed up, Pal, royally!

[Yardstick]

...inactive pipe bombs...

---

Did they ever get around to telling us just what these “pipe bombs” consisted of?

My distinct impression at the time was that they were incompetently made and posed little danger. Like they were made of road flares or something. In other words possibly flammable but not explosive.

I suspect the term “inactive pipe bombs” makes the devices sound far more serious than they actually were.

[Fedora]

Elsewhere on the internet, just seconds after Cesar Altieri Sayoc’s apprehension, his public listing identified him as a Democrat. (Below) Moments later, the listing was updated by someone, changing his listing from Democrat, to “Republican.” While it’s been noted that MyLife is a publicly edited page, I captured his Democrat party affiliation within seconds of the announcement of his apprehension and then watched in amazement as his party affiliation changed from Democrat to Republican before my very eyes, capturing screenshots as quickly as I could to document the changes. (Photos). . .: CESAR SAYOC: ‘MAGA BOMBER’ FACEBOOK BETRAYS DEMOCRAT TRUMP INFILTRATOR, ANTI-GOP POSTS

'MAGA Bomber' Worked at West Palm Nightclub Where Stormy Daniels Stripped in Anti-Trump Tour

[lilypad]

Wasn’t this the guy who had pro trump stickers on his van? Fresh stickers.

[a fool in paradise]

How many years did Barack Obama’s personal mentor and ghostwriter Bill Ayers get?

[libertylover]

No sympathy from me except maybe the part about 20 years.

Is the woman who held up a fake decapitated head of the President still free?

[nvcdl]

He is friends with a former CIA agent/ drug gang member.

https://www.dcclothesline.com/2018/10/30/wondered-why-all-those-trump-stickers-on-fake-maga-bombers-van-were-so-pristine-heres-why/

[robowombat]

Cesar was someone in the FBI or BATF’s sock puppet. Screwed up guy with a life script of loser and failure. Just the sort of confused angry and unintelligent type to manipulate. The deep state has moved on to real murder and mayhem as witnessed in El Paso.

[trebb]

Did anyone mailing white powder to repubs get 20 years?