Cesar Sayoc, Charged With Sending Pipe Bombs To Trump Critics, To Plead Guilty
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A Florida man charged with sending pipe bombs to prominent critics of President Donald Trump is expected to plead guilty next week.
A notice entered in the case file of Cesar Sayoc shows a plea hearing has been scheduled for next Thursday in New York.
Sayoc faces charges carrying a potential penalty of life in prison. It was not known which charge or charges the plea would involve.
Sayoc was set to go to trial in July on charges that he sent 16 improvised explosive devices through the U.S. mail to victims across the country. None exploded.
- Sayoc was taken into custody in South Florida in October. He has ties to New York and Florida court documents list his place of birth as Brooklyn.
- Sayoc has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 1991.
- According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Sayoc has been arrested for both grand larceny and petty larceny in the early 90s.
- In 2002, he was arrested on a felony charge listed as "Threat to Bomb." Court documents say Sayoc pleaded guilty to threatening to discharge a destructive device however, the arrest record does not detail who Sayoc's target was.
- In 2004, the 56-year-old was arrested on multiple charges including fraud and drug possession. Five years ago, Sayoc was again charged with larceny and has reportedly violated his probation at least twice since then.
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Authorities say he targeted numerous Democrats, critics of the president, and CNN - heightening tensions before the 2018 midterm elections.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
