Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Latest on the sentencing of a New York man convicted of leaving menacing phone messages for two Republican members of Congress (all times local):
9:40 p.m.
A lawyer assisting a western New York man sentenced to five years in prison for voicemails he left for two Republican members of Congress says the man maintains his messages weren’t meant as threats.
Carlos Bayon was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Buffalo.
He was convicted in August of threatening Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington.
Prosecutors say the voicemails included threats to “feed them lead” and warned that they “will pay.”
Bayon has been representing himself, with lawyer Patrick Brown appointed to assist him. Brown says Bayon argues he chose provocative language to draw attention to the separation of families under Trump administration immigration policy.
Scalise spokeswoman Lauren Fine says the congressman is grateful to law enforcement and the courts “for ensuring that justice was served.”
___
7:30 p.m.
A western New York man convicted of leaving menacing phone messages for two Republican members of Congress has been sentenced to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney James Kennedy Jr. announced Carlos Bayon’s sentence Thursday.
The 64-year-old Bayon has been representing himself. A message was sent to a lawyer who was appointed to assist him and filed notice Thursday of a planned appeal.
Prosecutors say Bayon left threatening voicemails last year for Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington. Authorities said they found Bayon had a loaded rifle, 150 rounds of ammunition and books on bomb-making.
Bayon admitted leaving the messages but said he sought only to communicate outrage about Trump administration immigration and family separation policies.
A federal jury in Buffalo convicted Bayon in August.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
