Calif. Man Gets 20-Year Sentence in Anthrax Hoax

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

A Northern California man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sending hoax anthrax letters to President Barack Obama and others.

Timothy Cloud, who is from the Sacramento area, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in May to sending the letters that threatened the president. He also pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender.

The 63-year-old admitted sending letters containing a white powder to Obama and to Social Security Administration offices in Baltimore; Kansas City, Mo.; and New York City.

The New York office was evacuated and four employees quarantined as a result.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/08/23/us/AP-US-Anthrax-Hoax.html?hp

[edbermac]

1. Aww, the poor man, I feel so sorry for him.

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[BillH76]

3. 20 years for shipping some baking soda seems excessive.

culpae poenae par esto. (Let the punishment fit the crime.) Two years might fit. Twenty years is state terrorism.

[Winterblues]

5. Most Terrorists get sent to Gitmo and have a Military Tribunal

He is getting off easy IMO

[drmeow]

7. I don't necessarily think that

20 years is appropriate but 2 years is too short.

[Taverner]

8. Let's all agree on 19 then

:evilgrin:

[drmeow]

10. I'll see your 19

and raise you ... oh, wait ... wrong process ... this is bargaining, not gambling. 19 years - meh. He doesn't deserve more than ... of, wait again ... since I started high and you started low, should I really be bargaining down? Now you've got me ALL confused! :hide: :P

[CLANG]

12. You do the crime, you do the time.

He could have done a bit of research an found what the potential penalties were. I don't feel sorry for him in the least. He's also a perv.

[Downwinder]

2. Now he won't get Social Security for 20 years, but he will have medical. n/t

[Tx4obama]

4. 20 yrs X $50,000 per year to keep him in prison = ONE MILLION DOLLARS

The taxpayers lose again!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Heywood J]

6. Chad "the UnaFreeper" Castagana only got five years probation.

And that was after being convicted at trial. Mr. Cloud plead guilty, and in theory got some credit for that. Evidently Mr. Cloud isn't so well-connected and didn't hang out on certain message boards.

[crim son]

11. Twenty years?

Is that because he sent the powder to the President, or what? I hope this sentence acts as a deterrent to others who think anthrax scares are funny, because otherwise the sentence is excessive. Twenty years is a long time - some murderers serve less.