The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Myrtle Beach man in connection with making a series of violent and hate-based threats to a New York news reporter, threatening to kill her and her family, as well as blow up her house, according to the FBI.
Austin Suman was arrested in Myrtle Beach, Friday morning, Nov. 15, and is expected to later appear in the Southern District of New York in White Plains for federal court.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said Suman allegedly made numerous threats and ethnic slurs to a local news reporter to file a personal grievance against her for her previous reporting of his prior arrest.
"His alleged threats to inflict significant harm with firearms and explosives were delivered with intimidation and prejudice," Dennehy said. "Hiding behind a screen will not prevent the FBI鈥檚 pursuit of those who target others with hateful messages of violence and death.鈥
Suman, 35, of Myrtle Beach, is charged with threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, willfully making a threat involving explosives, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and interstate stalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On Friday, Nov. 8, Suman sent messages over Facebook and email threatening a news reporter based in Orange County, New York, according to the FBI. The messages stated racial slurs and sexist comments, as well as threats. 鈥淚 will end you and your family. You better stay in [N]ew [Y]ork," the messages stated.
Suman鈥檚 mother spoke with news partner .
She claimed the reporter in question is a 鈥渟ensationalist鈥 and 鈥渉as ruined more people than she鈥檚 helped.鈥
鈥淵ears ago she destroyed my son,鈥 she told WMBF 黑料社入口. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 even convicted of the first thing the news is talking about. He wasn鈥檛 even convicted. The charges were dropped.鈥
The family asks for privacy and respect as they navigate this situation, WMBF 黑料社入口 reports.
鈥淢y son is not a monster,鈥 Suman鈥檚 mother said. 鈥淣othing has been proven that he said or did anything yet at this point. And he鈥檚 been through a lot of stuff.鈥
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.