Feds indict white supremacist 'reverend' for threatening jurors in Pittsburgh synagogue shooter trial: report
The United States Department of Justice announced on Thursday that a West Virginia man who calls himself a white supremacist "reverend" was arrested for harassing witnesses and posting antisemitic rhetoric during the trial of convicted Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue mass shooter Robert Bowers.
Hardy Carroll Lloyd of Follansbee is accused of having "made threatening social media posts, website comments, and emails towards the jury and witnesses during the trial. Lloyd also placed or had others place stickers in predominantly Jewish areas of Pittsburgh, directing people to the website containing his threats and antisemitic messages," DOJ said in a press release. "Lloyd is charged with obstruction of the due administration of justice, transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce, and witness tampering. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the obstruction charge, up to five years for the threats charge, and up to 20 in prison for the tampering charge. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors."
NBC News correspondent Minyvonne Burke reported that "in a May 14 post on the Russian social media site VKontakte, Lloyd allegedly wrote: 'Free Robert Bowers Now!! ... We need to support anyone who kills jews' [sic]," adding three days later, "Robert Bowers did Pgh a Favour. Any juror who finds him guilty is guilty of anti-White racism."
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According to Burke's review of the thirty-four-page criminal complaint, Lloyd also warned local news outlets that scouts "would be watching the jurors" and "taking pictures of ALL cars and people who leave the courthouse."
Burke noted that "in 2010, Lloyd was sentenced in a federal court in Pittsburgh to 2 1/2 years in prison for possessing ten firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition as a convicted felon. He was also acquitted in 2006 in connection with the shooting death of his former girlfriend."
Pittsburgh Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall said that "the safety and security of all citizens in our communities is a priority for the FBI" and that "threats of violence used to intimidate or influence a community or jury cannot and will not be tolerated. The FBI makes it a priority to investigate crimes based on religious bias. In this case, the Jewish community was specifically targeted by these threats. I want to thank the community for sharing information that helped lead to today's arrest."
William J. Ihlenfeld, II the US attorney serving the Northern District of West Virginia, remarked that "jury trials are a hallmark of the American justice system and attempts to intimidate witnesses or jurors will be met with a strong response," stressing that "the use of hateful threats in an effort to undermine a trial is especially troubling.”
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Burke's analysis is available at this link. DOJ's statement is here.
