California man gets 20-year sentence in anthrax hoax

California man gets 20-year sentence in anthrax hoax

www.rawstory.com

Northern California man sentenced to 20 years in prison for threatening Obama in anthrax hoax

A Northern California was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison for sending hoax anthrax letters to President Barack Obama and Social Security Administration offices in three states.

Timothy Cloud, 63, pleaded guilty in May to charges of sending the letters, to threatening the president, and to failing to register as a sex offender. The letters all contained a white powder.

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[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/207ffd0e913d.jpg[/atsimg]

While I agree that what this guy did was stupid, I think 20 years is a little harsh, especially seeing how they are allowing the real perp/s to get away with sending the real anthrax.

So in effect, as long as you have the right connections, you can conduct real bioterrorism, though if you are just a peasant and pretend to mimick the bioterrorist/s, you are done for. This wouldn't get me so angry if the real anthrax terror attacks weren't covered up but I just don't see how you can take this Timothy Cloud fellow more seriously than the real deal. I think it speaks volumes for where we are as a society.

--airspoon

www.rawstory.com
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reply to post by airspoon


Not only did he send threatening letters, that caused a lot of problems, he's a convicted sex offender that failed to register.

While the sentence seems harsh to you, the guy appears to be a whack job that needs to be removed from the public.

In this case, with the added information, of being a sex offender, I think he should be locked up for good, and the key thrown away!



[edit on 24-8-2010 by Blanca Rose]

reply to post by Blanca Rose


I still think that such a sentence is harsh, especially seeing how the real anthrax perp/s are walking free. Regardless of this guy's past, he should be punished according to the crime he is being accused of, not what he might do or what he might have done in the past.

As far as him being a sex offender, I read somewhere that of all the people falsely accused, the biggest proportion of falsely convicted people are for sex crimes, due to the way society percieves these crimes. Some people even estimate that as high as 60% of all registered sex offenders could really be innocent. Think about it... When someone is accused of a "sex crime", they are automatically convicted in the eyes of most, due to the heinous nature of the accusations. Furthermore, a "sex offender" could be someone who took a leak in public (and got caught) or whistled at a lady on the sidewalk and faced an activist judge for it. I take this whole "Sex-offender" issue with a grain, no bundle of salt.

Now whether this guy really did molest a child or not, I have no idea and I'm certainly not speaking to his innocense on that matter, however he should have been convicted for that crime.

I just don't see how activists lestters, even if they are threatening, should land such a harsh prison sentence, especially seeing how many people make a very compelling argument for the government, or elements therein, sending the real anthrax.

--airspoon

reply to post by airspoon


I understand what you are saying, especially about the sex offender registry part, but, this guy is off balance, whether or not he was guilty of the sex offense or not.

It takes a special kind of nut, to pull off what he did with the hoax, and who's to say he wouldn't actually pull it off at a later date, or something similar.

Ok, so maybe a 20 year sentence is harsh, considering he is mentally disturbed.

Would years locked away in a mental institute until he is deemed no danger to the public be more appropriate?

What would you recommend, because obviously, he is a nut!

No wonder American states go bankrupt, 63 years old into prison for 20 years for a hoax case.

Probably with some heart or cancer disease..gets primary state funded health care + 3 times meals per day, and a lot of new senior friends in prison, who would talk to him everyday so he does not get lonely (which his children probably would not do if he were not in prison and is acting like such a nut case)



[edit on 24-8-2010 by nagabonar]