A 74-year old retired high school teacher from Long Island got 30 months in prison for “mailing dozens of violent threats to LGBTQ affiliated individuals, groups and businesses” over an 8-year period, a New York TV station reported on Thursday, August 4, 2022 (see story here).
“According to prosecutors, Robert Fehring threatened to blow up the Stonewall Inn, a historic bar in Manhattan considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement,” and “place explosives at [the] 2021 New York City Pride march,” the TV station’s report says.
Prosecutors explained how American freedom works: ““The defendant has a First Amendment right to hold bigoted beliefs; he does not have a right to threaten people.” Yep, and that’s how the law works, too. Fehring pled guilty in February 2022 to sending threats through the mail, a federal crime.
But it doesn’t take violent threats to get in trouble. Stalking and harassment are crimes, too.
When the FBI raided his house, they found “two loaded shotguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.” Who keeps loaded shotguns in their house? This guy is nuts. A story here says he was a music teacher, and is being sued by a former student for alleged sexual abuse (access court records here).
Related story: A West Virginia man got 3 years in prison for threatening Dr. Fauci (story here).
Photo above: Robert Fehring