[DailyMail] Update of link posted by Skidmark in comments yesterday.- Cesar Altier Sayoc, 56, was taken into custody on Friday morning in Plantation, Florida
- He is an avid Trump fan with an interest in bodybuilding who says he is a member of the Seminole tribe
- Seminole Tribe of Florida has disavowed him however, saying he has never been a member
- Sayoc had reportedly been kicked out of his parents' home and was living in his van when he was arrested
- Van - which is densely covered with pro-Trump stickers - believed to be Sayoc's was impounded in Plantation
- In the 1990s, Sayoc traveled the country and worked as a male stripper after failing to become a pro wrestler
- Four additional suspicious packages discovered on Thursday and Friday brought the total to 14
- On Friday afternoon, postal officials in Burlingame, California intercepted a package for billionaire Tom Styer
- Earlier Friday a package addressed to Senator Kamala Harris was intercepted in Sacramento, California
- A postal inspector intercepted another package to James Clapper in Manhattan Friday morning
- FBI also discovered suspicious package addressed to Senator Cory Booker in Florida on Thursday night
Mail bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc was 'mentally disturbed,' used steroids and cut ties with Democrat mom who's 'deeply regretful': lawyer[NYDailyNews] He was mentally disturbed, told his Democrat mom he hated her and likely aggravated his anger with steroid use.
That’s the portrait of Florida bombing suspect Cesar Sayoc painted by lawyer Ronald Lowy, a family friend who represented Sayoc in multiple criminal cases over the years.
Lowy said Sayoc’s mom was in a hospital Friday recovering from a routine surgery performed shortly before news broke that her son was arrested in the string of mail bombs sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and other prominent Democrats this week.
“I met with his mother. It’s a very sad situation. She’s obviously very distressed. Her son has been mentally disturbed for a very long time. They’ve encouraged him to get assistance, therapy and treatment, but he’s always refused,” Lowy told the Daily News.
“She’s a Democrat. She finds all of this so shocking and painful. She’s asked me to express her empathy for the victims who had to receive these packages and be in fear. She’s in shock it could have been her son, and if so, she’s deeply regretful,” he said.
He said Sayoc’s mom, Madeline Giardiello, wasn’t aware that her son — who previously worked in the adult entertainment industry, reportedly taking part in male strip shows — had been posting online about his ultra right-wing, fringe politics.
“There was a time he accepted help from his family, and they kept hoping he would get treatment. But he finally cut himself off and sadly told his mother he hates her,” Lowy said.
He said there’s been some “occasional telephonic contact,” but Sayoc hasn’t visited his mom’s house in three to four years.
“The way she understands it, he’s been living in a vehicle,” Lowy said. “That’s part of the oddity. This (alleged crime) appears to be more sophisticated than he would have the means or competency to carry out. It truly makes us wonder if all the facts are correct. Maybe he was someone’s pawn, or acting on someone’s behalf.”
Sayoc, 56, has been arrested at least 10 times in Florida, including once in 2002 for making a telephone bomb threat to Florida Power and Light.
Lowy said Sayoc had a cleaning business at the time and was enraged the utility had turned off his electricity, likely due to non-payment.
“He called to get it restored, they refused, and he made an absurd, off-the-cuff comment along the lines of, ‘If I left a bomb at your office, I bet it would get turned on real fast.’ There was no contact personally, no action to follow up. The judge understood there was no history and agreed to give him probation for a year,” Lowy said.
Sayoc was also charged in 2004 with felony possession of testosterone-based steroids. Online court records show the case was ultimately dismissed.
“We convinced the state attorney to treat it as they would a narcotic. He got in a diversion program to hopefully try to get him off steroids. Sadly, it’s our understanding he went back and continued using them. We think that is probably part of problem. Steroids can create heightened emotions and anger. It’s a very dangerous drug,” Lowy said.
Lowy said he was personally surprised by Sayoc’s arrest in the mail bomb case Friday.
“He’s someone who doesn’t exhibit the sophistication to commit such a sophisticated crime. He’s always shown a diminished capacity in dealing with society, a difficulty conforming or carrying on substantial tasks without supervision,” Lowy said.
Were Sayoc’s explosives operational? The feds don't seem to think so - even as they insist the 14 IEDs were 'not a hoax'
[DailyMail]
- Cesar Sayoc Jr, 56, was arrested on Friday and charged with five federal crimes in the 'MAGAbomber' case
- His list of charges did not include attempted murder, giving a strong indication that the IEDs were not operational
- FBI director Christopher Wray said on Friday the 14 package bombs contained explosive materials and were not hoax bombs
- He said the devices all had the potential of detonating in transit, or if shaken or exposed to a heat source
- Law enforcement sources previously said they believe the pipe bombs were either ineptly constructed or not intended to blow up
| And courtesy of 3dc: |
As a South Florida resident, been trying to explain to people all day how completely believable this guy is. It's been funny. Half-Filipino male stripper, jacked up on steroids, MAGA van, multiple arrests, lives in Aventura. Sure, no problem. We got those.
— Thirty Tyrants Ϡ (@ThirtyTyrants) October 26, 2018