Cesar Sayoc, the mail bomber, walks back on his guilty plea

INSTAGRAM / SAYOC

Cesar Sayoc at a rally for then candidate Donald Trump.

The Trump-loving mail bomber Cesar Sayoc tried to downplay his attempt to mail bombs to prominent Democrats and news media as a prank, not meant to hurt anybody.

Sayoc pleaded guilty late last month to sending pipe bombs to Trump critics just weeks before the 2018 midterm elections.

Less than two days after his guilty plea, the Filipino American wrote the judge a letter saying he was misunderstood at his plea hearing.

On Tuesday, the 57-year old Florida resident's March 23rd handwritten letter to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff was made public. In his letter, Sayoc wrote that his intention was only to “intimidate and scare.”

He explained in his letter, “what started out as hoax, decoys, devices were not meant to work or could have worked, hurt or harm anyone.”

Sayoc added that he is “forever sincerely in remorse and extremely sorry” for what happened.

Sayoc, who reportedly saw Trump as a father figure, pleaded guilty March 21 to sending bombs to 16 Democratic targets, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. None of the bombs detonated.

In court, the judge asked Sayoc if he knew the devices would hurt anyone. In his letter, Sayoc said his lawyer told him to say yes.

He said he didn’t have a full understanding of what to say — that he answered under extreme emotional circumstances.

He also sent Federal Court Judge Jed Rakoff e a second letter dated April 1, in which he said he was “freaked out overwhelmed nervious (sic) with anxiety” when he pleaded guilty.

“I was not aware of risk,” he said, referring to the devices. “The fireworks was a sparkler and not capable of exploding. I am not a chemist or scientist.”

At the time of his arrest, Sayoc had been living in a van plastered with stickers oft Trump and images of Trump opponents with cross hairs over their faces.
Sayoc faces the possibility of life sentence. The judge has given prosecutors and defense lawyers until April 15 to comment – on whether Sayoc’s letters will impact his guilty plea.

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