Maximum Prison Term Given to Man for Making On-Line Threats to Injure and Kill Hispanics

MIAMI – Today, a federal judge in South Florida sentenced Eric Lin, 35, of Clarksburg, Maryland, to five years in prison, plus three years of supervised release after prison, for making repeated on-line threatening communications that targeted Hispanics.  The judge imposed the maximum sentence under the statute.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.  

According to court documents, between May 30, 2019, and August 14, 2019, Lin made multiple threatening communications via Facebook to injure and kill a South Florida resident and to kill all Hispanics in Miami and other places.  These included messages like “I’m coming to Rape and kill you” and “I will stop at Nothing until you, your family, your friends, your entire WORTHLESS LATIN RACE IS RACIALLY EXTERMINATED!” In Lin’s messages, he also   discussed mass shootings of Hispanics and the idolization of Adolf Hitler. 

On January 14, 2020, Lin pled guilty to the felony charge of knowingly and intentionally transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. (Case No. 19cr20551).

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the City of Miami Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Medetis and Jonathan Kobrinski.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.