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Cesar Sayoc, a 56-year-old man facing five federal charges related to 13 suspicious packages intercepted, has a long criminal record in Florida.
FBI director Christopher Wray said the investigation was ongoing, but that the explosives, which did not explode, are not treated as "hoaxes". According to Wray, they were all composed of about 15 cm of PVC pipe, a small clock, a battery, cables and potential explosives.
According to US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the charges against Sayoc include:
- Interstate transport of an explosive.
- Illegal shipment of explosives.
- Threats against former presidents and some other people.
- Threat of interstate communications.
- Aggression against current and former federal officers.
According to the court and other public records, Sayoc had a long criminal and judicial record in Florida. He was convicted of theft, theft of property and traffic charges and, in 2002, of "throwing, placing, throwing or unloading any device of destruction".
Sayoc, born in New York, was sentenced in August 2002 for threatening to launch a bomb during a conversation with a Florida public service representative, according to Ronald Lowy, a Miami lawyer who represented him. The records of the Dade County Court showed that Sayoc had spent one year on probation following the signing of a discharge certificate by a judge in November 2002.
Lowy told The Associated Press that Sayoc "had made a verbal threat when he was frustrated by the lack of service". Lowy said that Sayoc had shown no capability at the time to reinforce its threat with expertise in bomb manufacturing.
The lawyer said that Sayoc was then a bodybuilder and that he showed no political inclination, with the exception of plastering a vehicle that he owned with Native American signs.
The court records also show that Sayoc was convicted in the 1990s in Broward County, Florida, for stealing and possession of stolen property. In 2004, he was convicted of fraudulent repayment and falsification of material evidence.
According to the records, he is a registered Republican. A Twitter account that appears to belong to the suspect includes repeated attacks against billionaire George Soros and praise for US President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Soros was the first recipient of the identified dangerous packages.
Almost all other target recipients of packages also appear in derogatory or highly critical tweets, including Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder and Maxine Waters. Authorities said Friday that a fingerprint from Waters' mail was essential to identify the subject.
By linking it to the Twitter account, the Associated Press said it contained images that reflected what appeared on the side of the van that the authorities seized.
The authorities did not specify whether the van seized in Florida was related to Sayoc.
The van on which federal agents are investigating parcel bombs that have been sent to high-level Trump critics is being transported on a flatbed wrecker. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun-Sentinel / Associated Press)
Trump was singled out as the "best president of all time" in a tweet, while a man appearing at Sayoc posted a video of an unidentified Trump rally, featuring supporters chanting the name of the president.
Speaking to reporters Friday, the president said that he knew the suspect was a supporter, but that he could not be held responsible for his actions.
While CNN was among the package recipients this week, the vast majority of account tweets related to suspicious screen capture or television news coverage videos feature segments of Fox News.
Two weeks ago, Sayoc threatened a former Democratic Congress spokesperson on Twitter after appearing on Fox News. The tweet had asked her to "shake the house against her loved ones every time you leave". The woman, Rochelle Ritchie, reported it to Twitter, but the company concluded that he had not broken any rule of conduct.
A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation with law enforcement.
A Facebook profile that appeared to belong to Sayoc featured videos and photos of him at several Trump rallies, including at least one in Florida. Several messages contained anti-Muslim statements.
Sayoc worked as a stripper, professional wrestler, store manager and club promoter, according to public records, social media profiles and interviews with people who spoke to him.
A Linkedin file containing an image corresponding to that of the suspect contains over 500 connections but is extremely vague about work experience, both in terms of work history and schedule. The profile, under César Altieri, describes his experience as a booker and promoter of burlesque shows and Chippendale.
The profile indicates attendance in the early 1980s in North Carolina schools. It is not clear right away if these claims are correct.
Sayoc was arrested in an automatic zone in Aventura, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
A man who operates a property management office near the Florida auto parts store, where the mail-mail suspect parked his van, said the suspect had not resisted arrest and arrest. the arrest of armed police. Thomas Fiori, a former federal police officer, said he saw an undercover police officer in a nearby SUV examine the AutoZone store with binoculars on Friday.
Fiori said after a few minutes that he had heard a small explosion, probably a way used by the police to distract people. He added that 50 police officers had stuffed their weapons into the suspect's van. Fiori said that the arrested man had not resisted and that he "seemed to be saying," I'm done, I surrender. "
Watch Friday's briefing on the series of suspicious packages:
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