Man Gets Prison For Threatening NY News Reporter And Her Family

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — A man accused of threatening to kill a news reporter and her family and blow up her house was sentenced Friday to nine months in prison.

Judge Nelson Stephen Roman imposed the sentence on Austin Suman, 36, of South Carolina, during a proceeding in U.S. District Court.

Once he finishes his sentence, Suman will be on supervised release for three years. He was arrested in November in South Carolina.

Suman pleaded guilty in April to one count of threatening interstate communications.

Suman apologized in a letter, writing, “I would like to express my apologies regarding my actions directed toward (the reporter) via Facebook and email. I was angry and upset, but that is no excuse.”

Suman, who is originally from the Orange County area, had been upset with the reporter’s past coverage about his arrest in a prior threatening incident years ago, court documents show. The journalist covers Orange County.

Assistant Federal Defender Rachel S. Martin, who represents Suman, said her client has “accepted full responsibility for his offense and feels deep shame for the harm he caused the victim and her family.”

Martin said her client is “anxious to re-enter society,” get mental health counseling and get his life on track.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Reyhan Watson said Suman sent a series of “violent and hate-based threats” via Facebook and email to the reporter on Nov. 8.

Suman wrote messages such as “I will end you,” “I will end you and your family,” and “I would drag you by your legs naked with my horse,” according to the government.

He also wrote, “I can blow your house off its foundation tread lightly,” and mentioned that he had weapons in his possession, prosecutors said.

Suman referenced the reporter’s gender, race, ethnicity and national origin in expletive-laced messages, writing “Dumb Mexican,” and “Female journalist what a joke,” and calling the woman a “sp–k,” according to the government.

When law enforcement arrested Suman on Nov. 15, federal agents searched his residence and recovered pistols, shotguns, and rifles, including ammunition, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors had asked the court to sentence Suman to 16 months in prison, citing a need to deter future misconduct.

“Nobody deserves to be threatened for doing their job and serving their community,” Watson wrote, in a government sentencing memorandum.

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Man Charged With Threatening Hispanic NY News Reporter And Her Family