Macon resident sentenced for dying threats, tried extortion

Feb. 5—MACON — A Macon resident who was beforehand dwelling in Phoenix, Ariz., has been sentenced to serve 34 months in jail after he pleaded responsible to creating dying threats and making an attempt to blackmail a person by means of Fb.

Austin Mitchel Fitch, aka Jakob Enderson, 29, was sentenced to serve 34 months in jail to be adopted by three years of supervised launch by Chief U.S. District Choose Marc Treadwell after Fitch beforehand pleaded responsible to 2 counts of sending threatening communications through interstate commerce and one depend of interstate communications with intent to extort. There is no such thing as a parole within the federal system.

“Dying threats and extortion should not constitutionally protected speech,” U.S. Legal professional Peter D. Leary stated in a information launch. “There are repercussions for individuals who threaten to hurt and blackmail folks by means of social media. I wish to commend FBI’s Nationwide Menace Operations Heart for its work on this case and its continued efforts to guard our residents from hurt.”

“Nobody ought to must face threats and extortion in individual or by means of social media,” Keri Farley, particular agent accountable for FBI Atlanta, stated. “Due to the FBI’s Nationwide Menace Operations Heart, Austin Fitch will not be capable to make threats. This case is a warning to others who wish to use social media as their weapon of selection.”

In line with courtroom data, an individual contacted the FBI’s Nationwide Menace Operations Heart on April 28, 2022, to report dying threats he acquired by means of Fb from a person named Jakob Enderson. A second individual additionally acquired dying threats on the identical day from Jakob Enderson.

An exigent emergency request for subscriber info by FBI to Fb resulted within the account being traced to Fitch. On April 29, 2022, the FBI spoke with Fitch, who admitted to creating the dying threats and indicated that he believed it was inside his constitutional rights to make such threats. The agent suggested Fitch that these kind of feedback should not protected speech and that it was unlawful to make dying threats. Following that dialog with FBI, Fitch proceeded to succeed in again out to each individuals a number of occasions with extra threats by means of Fb, together with an try and extort cash.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Legal professional Will Keyes prosecuted the case.