Editorial Cartoon

Cesar Sayoc, the failed terrorist and former stripper, has been denied bail by a federal judge

Cesar Sayoc, the man officials say mailed at least 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrat politicians and news outlets had his first day in court earlier this week.

According to a report from Reuters, Sayoc, a 56-year-old man who was living in Florida, has officially been charged with five separate federal crimes and faces a prison sentence of 58 years. While in federal court in Miami, Sayoc was denied bail and will have to wait until Friday to go before the judge again.

Despite the charges of “interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents, threatening interstate communications, and assaulting federal officers,” Sayoc’s defense attorneys told reporters waiting outside of the courthouse that the prosecution’s case was “flimsy.”

You've reached your daily free article limit.

Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.

Get Full Ad-Free Access For Just $0.50/Week

Enjoy unlimited digital access to our Military Culture, Defense, and Foreign Policy coverage content and support a veteran owned business. Already a subscriber?

Cesar Sayoc, the man officials say mailed at least 14 pipe bombs to prominent Democrat politicians and news outlets had his first day in court earlier this week.

According to a report from Reuters, Sayoc, a 56-year-old man who was living in Florida, has officially been charged with five separate federal crimes and faces a prison sentence of 58 years. While in federal court in Miami, Sayoc was denied bail and will have to wait until Friday to go before the judge again.

Despite the charges of “interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents, threatening interstate communications, and assaulting federal officers,” Sayoc’s defense attorneys told reporters waiting outside of the courthouse that the prosecution’s case was “flimsy.”

“All there is this thin amount of evidence that has been alleged in that complaint,” said Sayoc’s attorney Jamie Benjamin, who also told reporters that his client was already being tried in the court of public opinion.

Perhaps more surprising is that Sayoc, before his life of terrorism, once worked as a stripper. According to a report from the fact checking site Snopes.com, Sayoc performed strip dances in the 1990s, and was hired by promoters to perform frequently.

“I would hire him to send him to do these shows,” said Tony Valentine, an Ohio-based event promoter who claims to have previously hired Sayoc in the 90s, while speaking to reporters from the Washington Examiner. “He would just go do a strip show and leave. He was a stripper. He was dancing for a guy out in Oklahoma too.”

Sayoc’s former life as a male stripper aside, authorities think he may have planned to wreak much more havoc than he was able to. According to a report from NPR, Sayoc had a “list of more than 100 names” of possible targets. The kill-list contained the names of several politicians and journalists; however, law enforcement officials have not released the list at this time.

Although it may be hard to believe the story of Cesar Sayoc cannot get weirder, filmmaker Michael Moore took to Twitter over the weekend to inform his followers that his crew had filmed Sayoc holding a sign during a rally for newly elected president Trump. According to Moore, his team were shooting footage of the rally in Melbourne, Florida for a part in what would become his latest film “Fahrenheit 11/9.”

According to Moore, the footage of Sayoc was ultimately not used in the final cut of his movie.

About Joseph LaFave View All Posts

Joseph LaFave writes about finance, maritime issues, healthcare, the National Guard, and conflicts around the world. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as an EMT in Florida and as an ESH engineer for Lockheed Martin supporting several DoD and NASA satellites. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Science in Management from Southern New Hampshire University.

COMMENTS

You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.

More from SOFREP

REAL EXPERTS.
REAL NEWS.

Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.

TRY 14 DAYS FREE

Already a subscriber? Log In