A man who threatened the children of the president of FAC sentenced to 20 months in prison

A California man who sent an email to FCC President Ajit Pai, and threatened to murder his children in 2017, was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

Markara Man, 33, was arrested last year in his home in Norwalk, California, where FBI agents found digital evidence that he had threatened the president's children with death threats. . Prosecutors said the man was upset by Pai's decision to overturn the FCC-imposed network neutrality rules in Obama's time.

A federal case was brought against Markara last June in the Eastern District of Virginia. He pleaded guilty in September. In addition to 20 months, which includes time spent in jail, he was sentenced to three years of parole.

Even after pleading guilty, which qualified him for a reduced sentence under US guidelines, Markara was sentenced to more than four years in prison. His conviction record indicates that a "letter from the president" was included in a report prepared by the probation officer of the court. What is said in the letter is unclear.

President Pai did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The minutes show that Markara wrote several times to the Pai government's email address in December 2017 after the FCC voted in favor of repealing the rules of internet neutrality. A few days earlier, the commission had been forced to evacuate due to a bomb threat launched by another person.

In an e-mail on December 20, Markara wrote, "I will find and kill your children." The e-mail also contained the names and addresses of three schools in Arlington, Virginia. However, none of Pai's children attended.

In another email sent a few minutes later, Markara included a photo of the president with a framed picture of his wife and children in the foreground.

During the search of his home by the FBI, Markara attempted to delete data from his phone by initiating a factory reset, and then lied about it, agents said. But during the interrogation, he admitted to having sent the emails.

He also wrote a letter of apology to Pai, according to the court's minutes, in which it was written, "I am sorry for threatening your children. It was crossing the line. I hope you will change your mind about net neutrality. "

After Markara pleaded guilty in September, Pai thanked the Justice Department, the FBI and the FCC security agents for protecting his family. "I am deeply grateful for all they have done to keep us safe," he said.