U.S. mail bomb suspect pleads not guilty in New York
CESAR SAYOC. Sayoc is accused of sending 16 pipe bombs to liberal critics. Photo from Getty Images North America/AFP
NEW YORK, USA – A Florida man accused of sending 16 pipe bombs last month to critics of President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday, November 15, in US federal court in New York to all counts.
Cesar Sayoc, 56, is an avowed Trump supporter and registered Republican. He could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on all counts, according to federal prosecutors.
Sayoc's targets ranged from former president Barack Obama and former vice president Joe Biden to Trump's presidential rival Hillary Clinton, actor Robert De Niro and billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
None of the bombs exploded and most were not delivered to their intended recipient.
US federal judge Jed Rakoff set a trial start date of July 15, 2019.
The charges against Sayoc include 5 counts of use of a weapon of mass destruction, 5 counts of interstate transportation of explosives, and 5 counts of threatening interstate communications.
Allegedly included with the bombs were a print-out or photograph of his intended victim marked with a red X.
Sayoc was also charged 5 times with illegal use of mail, 5 times with carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony and 5 times with use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Sayoc, who has a criminal history and lived in a white truck plastered with pro-Trump and anti-Democrat stickers, was arrested in Florida 5 days after the first device was discovered in Soros's upstate New York mailbox, following a massive manhunt.
The episode heightened political tensions in the lead-up to the November 6 US midterm elections, which saw Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives while Republicans retained control of the Senate.
Police found Sayoc's fingerprints and DNA on the packages. – Rappler.com
