A Pennsylvania man convicted of threatening President Donald Trump and a district attorney was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday.
“Authorities charged 28-year-old Shawn Christy of McAdoo with threatening to ‘put a bullet’ in Trump and then-Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli and threatening ‘lethal force’ against police,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
Authorities caught Christy in Ohio in 2018 following a manhunt that spanned several states and Canada, WNEP reported.
The article continued:
While he was on the run, federal officials say Christy broke into several homes and businesses, stealing food, firearms, and vehicles.
Federal officials said after making threats online, Christy went on a three-month crime spree, breaking into homes, businesses like Hazleton Oil where he used to work, Skipper Dipper in Schuylkill County, even the Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Police said he stole food, firearms, and vehicles in a total of six states and Canada before being caught in Ohio.
Christy said he has been unfairly targeted by the government and represented himself in court.
In addition to his prison sentence, Christy must also pay $1,200 in court fees and more than $18,000 in restitution for the crime spree.
At the hearing, the judge referred to him as “painting a picture of a man to be feared,” according to WFMZ.
“For about an hour and a half of the hearing Christy objected to details of a pre-sentence report. During the hearing he said that he knew the government did not like him and that he felt dehumanized,” the article noted.
However, his mother told the judge Thursday that her son had cognitive and mental health issues, adding that the sentence should be lower or he should be given help while in prison.
“The judge recommended Christy be sent to Butner prison in North Carolina because he can receive proper mental health treatment there,” the WFMZ report concluded.