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Martin Alan
Schnitzler, 43, of Seminole, pleaded guilty to one count of
obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs,
U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley of the Middle District of Florida
said.
Schnitzler entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie
Sneed in Tampa.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, but is likely to
get much less under recommended federal guidelines. He remains
free pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
Schnitzler admitted to having left profanity-laced voice
messages with the Islamic Society of St. Petersburg and the
Islamic Society of Pinellas County on Nov. 13, 2015, and in
which he threatened congregants.
Both messages referred to the Paris attacks, which had occurred
the same day and killed 130 people. Schnitzler admitted that his
threats were prompted by the attacks.
In one message, he threatened to "personally have a militia"
show up at one of mosques, and "firebomb you, shoot whoever is
there on sight in the head."
Bryant Camareno, a lawyer for Schnitzler, in a phone interview
said his client expressed remorse at his plea hearing, and was
"upset at the emotional harm" he caused congregants.
He also said Schnitzler was not a credible threat, having taken
no steps to carry out the harms he threatened.
Schnitzler entered his plea one day after a Connecticut man, Ted
Hakey Jr, pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for shooting at
an empty mosque next door to his Meriden home, one day after the
Paris attacks. No one was injured.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa
Shumaker)
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