A 20-year-old Michigan man who admitted using social media to make violent threats against Jews was sentenced Monday to one year and one day in prison, far short of the sentence recommended by prosecutors. The verdict was handed down.
If your sentence exceeds one year, you will be eligible for good behavior credits, which will reduce your time in federal custody.
Sean Pietila has been incarcerated since June, accused of using Instagram to promote neo-Nazi ideology, discuss plans to kill people and glorify mass shootings.
Michigan man pleads guilty to threatening violent anti-Semitic attacks online
Pietila admitted telling someone last summer about a plot to kill Jews and attempting to post the attack online. The FBI said Pietila had written the name of the Shirley Zedek congregation in East Lansing, near Michigan State University, on his phone along with the date 2024.
A Michigan man has been sentenced to more than a year in prison for making violent and anti-Semitic threats online.
“He never sent the note to anyone, he never posted it publicly,” defense attorney Scott Tilton said.
Pietila moved to the Lansing area from the Upper Peninsula when he was 16 years old. Tilton said she suffers from depression and anxiety, as well as cognitive issues.
“Mr. Pietila understands that his words matter, his messages are harmful, and his actions have consequences,” Tilton said in a court filing.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of nearly three years in prison. However, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker settled the case by paying 366 Days and $10,648 in security for the synagogue. Pietila will receive credit for the nearly nine months he has already spent in prison.
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“The preponderance of the evidence supports the conclusion that (Pietilä) set out on a path to kill people for reasons of religion or race and was stopped by law enforcement before he could carry out that desire.” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O. Connor said in court documents.
