Man Convicted Of Making Racist Threats Against Obama
A man has been convicted in San Diego of making racially charged comments on the Internet during the U.S. presidential campaign about killing Barack Obama.
Walter Bagdasarian of La Mesa posted the messages in October. Prosecutors say one on a Yahoo Finance board read, “He will have a 50 cal in the head soon.” Authorities say they found a .50-caliber rifle in his home.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff reached the verdict only an hour after the trial started Tuesday. No witnesses were presented.
An attorney for the 47-year-old defendant said his client was drunk when he posted the comments. Bagdasarian faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 26.
He is free on $100,000 bail.
