Topline
Hardy Carroll Lloyd, 45, was arrested Thursday on charges alleging he threatened the jury and witnesses involved in the trial of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, who was sentenced to death earlier this month after being found guilty of killing 11 people.
Lloyd was accused of threatening jurors and witnesses of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial. … [+]
Key Facts
Lloyd, who prosecutors said was a “self-proclaimed ‘reverend’ of a white supremacy movement,” allegedly made increasingly violent threats toward the trial’s jury and witnesses through social media posts, website comments and emails.
Lloyd was charged with obstruction of the due administration of justice, transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce, and witness tampering—all of which could cumulatively result in up to 35 years in prison.
One post from Lloyd, reported in a court filing, warned jurors that “we WILL be watching and we WILL be taking pictures of ALL cars and people who leave the courthouse.”
Following the death sentence of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, Robert Bowers, prosecutors allege Lloyd made a post on a website saying, “The good news is that synagogues remain easy targets… Let’s see a BOWERS in every city in every country.”
Lloyd also allegedly placed stickers in predominantly Jewish areas of Pittsburgh that directed people to a website sharing his discriminatory threats.
In a statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the organization alleged Lloyd has also directed threats at the families and victims of the 2018 mass shooting in Pittsburgh.
Lloyd’s attorneys could not be reached for comment.
Key Background
The trial in question was a high profile case involving the deadliest attack on Jewish people in U.S. history. Bowers, the convicted shooter, killed 11 people and injured six more in 2018 while shooting at a crowd gathered in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. He was found guilty on 63 charges including 11 counts of hate crimes causing death, 11 counts of using a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a violent crime and 11 counts of obstruction of the exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death. He was sentenced to death on August 2. Lloyd, who allegedly threatened the jurors who recommended the death sentence, has been investigated by law enforcement before. A post from the Texas Department of Public Safety last year says Lloyd was wanted by authorities after he posted comments online promising to carry a firearm onto state capitol grounds and challenge any officer who tried to take enforcement actions against him. “Lloyd is a convicted felon and cannot legally carry a firearm,” the post added.
What To Watch For
Prosecutors did not announce when Lloyd would be arraigned, but noted the FBI was still investigating the case.
Further Reading
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter Will Receive Death Penalty, Jury Decides (Forbes)
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter Found Guilty For 2018 Mass Killing That Left 11 Dead (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/08/10/white-supremacist-arrested-over-alleged-threats-he-made-to-jury-of-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-trial/