CNN: Sayoc was initially cooperative. Told investigators that the pipe bombs wouldn't hurt anyone.

[fleur-de-lisa]

Shimon Prokupecz ✔ @ShimonPro

CNN: Sayoc was initially somewhat cooperative. He told investigators that the pipe bombs wouldn’t have hurt anyone and that he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Sayoc has now retained a lawyer so the questioning has ceased, the official said.

2:11 PM - Oct 26, 2018

Link to tweet

[lame54]

1. If he's lying that's not cooperative

[uponit7771]

2. Still right wing extremist terrorism

[mobeau69]

3. He can tell that to the judge.

Another dumbfuck lets dotard ruin his life. Not that it was that great but it just got a helluva lot worse.

[fleur-de-lisa]

5. And that sounds like an admission to me.

The jury won't care that he was bad at making bombs. His intent to kill was very clear. What a dumbass!

[Cha]

32. I'm guessing he thought he was helping

his idol god trump.. instead he exposed for real the damage trump's brainwashing has on his already stupid fans.

[Hugin]

4. He was probably cooperative until he learned mailing explosives is a crime in itself.

I knew all along he was going to try the "they weren't real bombs" defense.

[jberryhill]

6. Idiot

He doesn't seem to realize that it really doesn't matter.

Oddly, it matters deeply to some people at DU. I can't imagine why.

The bottom line is that it does NOT matter one bit whether or not the bombs were functional or whether they were intentionally non-functional.

It. Doesn't. Matter.

This guy is never going to walk free again. Period.

[Iggo]

15. I know, right?

Try to sell some fake illegal drugs to an undercover police officer and see what they charge you with.

[jberryhill]

17. Or arrange to meet an underage sex partner, who is actually a 35 year old male cop

It just doesn't matter.

You put black powder in a tube and mail it to someone with the intent it be perceived as a bomb... it's like that comedy routine, "You might be a terrorist if..."

[Iggo]

18. Exactly.

And yeah, that guy's "through with money" as my old friends used to say.

[jberryhill]

19. Oh I like that one

[hatrack]

21. Well, yeah, I did shoot at him, Yeronner, but I missed!

Doesn't count, right?

[LiberalFighter]

25. He will have supporters that will agree with his defense.

They all need to be shot down with similar rebuttals you made.

[jberryhill]

26. That doesn't matter either

He's never walking free again.

Besides, he's got a better defense - the liberal attacks on this country drove him to it.

I mean, it was only a matter of time before all that liberal stuff drove someone to do what he did.

[SomethingNew]

37. I'm not saying he didn't commit a crime.

Idk what exactly the laws he broke are but I'm sure there are many.

That said, neither of these examples relates at all to mailing intentionally non-functional bombs. The first (selling fake drugs) is will not get you a conviction for selling narcotics. The second (your example) is the opposite scenario where there was intent to commit a crime but it wasn't physically possible to do so. If what the bomber is apparently claiming is true, he could not be convicted of, for example, attempted murder.

[jberryhill]

38. Well that's a good thing

Since murder is not a federal crime in the first place.

[jberryhill]

41. Here, I wrote an OP for you

The federal mail bomb statute does not care if your intent was to kill or to merely intimidate:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211327345

[SomethingNew]

43. You'll notice I never argued that point.

I'd think you, as a lawyer, should be able to see the distinction I was making.

[joshcryer]

30. Yes, he should be getting quite a long sentence.

And for good reason.

[fescuerescue]

39. depends on the context

In the realm of social impact it doesn't matter.

In terms of prosecuting him for attempted murder, it does matter. That's just the way the legal system is.

[jberryhill]

40. Bullshit

First off, there is no federal charge of murder. The US does not charge you with "murder" or "attempted murder". That is a state crime.

But, no, that is not the way "the legal system is".

He is charged with these offenses:

Violations of 18 U.S.C.
§§ 1716, 879, 844(d), (e),
875, 111, and 2

The one relevant to "mailing a bomb" is this one:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/844


(d) Whoever transports or receives, or attempts to transport or receive, in interstate or foreign commerce any explosive with the knowledge or intent that it will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property, shall be imprisoned for not more than ten years, or fined under this title, or both; and if personal injury results to any person, including any public safety officer performing duties as a direct or proximate result of conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be imprisoned for not more than twenty years or fined under this title, or both; and if death results to any person, including any public safety officer performing duties as a direct or proximate result of conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be subject to imprisonment for any term of years, or to the death penalty or to life imprisonment.

The device had pyrotechnic material of some kind, and was sent with the intent to intimidate. Thirteen of them.

Notice that the statute does not care if the intent is:

"kill, injure, or intimidate"

The statute does not care if you made a fake bomb or a real bomb.

[fescuerescue]

42. No need to get angry

It's just an internet discussion board.

You presented a different context between Federal and State. A very valid point and thank you for that.

So I think that yes. It does depend on context and you present the most likely.

[Hoyt]

7. Maybe bombs weren't intended to hurt anyone, but they were meant to intimidate. That's terrorism.

Even if there had been no explosives in whatever you call that thing, it is still intimidation. That's exactly what trump wants from pissants like this guy. And something could have happened, even if unlikely.

The next ignorant white wing MAGAbomber might try to be successful killing people.

[BlueJac]

8. So he is just a terrorist and not a wannabe killer?

Thank you FBI and all involved.

[Cattledog]

9. Sounds like a confession to me.

[raccoon]

10. "I was only having fun, wasn't hurting anyone." Yeah, right. Nt

[PJMcK]

11. "Can't you liberals take a joke?" (n/t)

[fleur-de-lisa]

12. Earning a life sentence to own the libs! n/t

[PJMcK]

13. He's like Trump

They're both geniuses.

[NightWatcher]

14. It's not like they got yelled at while at a restaurant

[PJMcK]

44. Or their take-out food was dumped on the street! (n/t)

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Yeah

we're such snowflakes that we can't handle people sending explosive devices to people (even if they don't work)

[apnu]

20. This is going to be the new thing tomorrow from the MAGA crowd.

You can set your watch to this stuff, these clowns are that predictable.

[struggle4progress]

22. "I'm a friendly guy who wouldn't harm a flea, and that's why I mail pipe bombs!"

[monmouth4]

23. Does Sayoc have a wife, girlfriend or is he perhaps an Incel?..n/t

[OnDoutside]

24. If the FBI lab says that they were viable, then that's what counts.

[jberryhill]

27. It. Doesn't. Matter.

It doesn't matter, "count" or anything else.

Look, if you take a tampon applicator, put gunpowder in it, tape a wristwatch to it, and send it through the US Postal Service, you are going down for the count.

[OnDoutside]

33. I disagree, those charges reflect the minimum of what they are

hitting him with. Even Sessions said those charges could expand. Once the viability of those bombs are determined, that may expand the charges.

[jberryhill]

34. He's never going outside on his own again

It's like the "blasphemy" scene in Life of Brian - "Worse? How can I make it any worse?"

I don't quite know how to break this to you, but if someone is facing a sentence of 200 years versus 500 years, they don't actually keep people in prison that long.

He's ADMITTED to enough to keep him for over 300 years.

[OnDoutside]

35. I'm shocked.

[ProudLib72]

28. Dear snowflakes

Use your words, not your bombs. Didn't you learn this in kindergarten? I know it can be difficult. After all, you have complete control of the government, and in a mere two years you have destroyed a lot of Obama's legacy. No, I get that you are still angry after all your winning. You have every right to be angry. The world is just not fair. It's just not. You need a strongman to come along and wipe everyone you hate off the face of the earth. The Rump is doing that, but it's taking too long. So you are completely right to be angry!

[crosinski]

36. It's terrifying how a mad leader can ignite madness in a culture.

Some people are like lit firecrackers now, spinning out with hate until they explode!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. It's terrorism anyhow. Maybe he thought he could get away with it

if the bombs didn't go off, but it doesn't matter. The IEDs had all the bomb ingredients, and therefore under the law they were bombs even if they didn't or weren't intended to work. You can't send bombs through the US mail, even bombs that don't work. He'll be in jail for the rest of his life.

[BannonsLiver]

31. He'll have plenty of time to contemplate all that as he rots in prison until his death

30 year mandatory minimum per count. He’s seen his last day as a free man on this earth. I hope he suffers until the end.

[Demonaut]

45. who is the lawyer, who supplied him/her, is he/she a public defender?