Iowa man pleads guilty to threatening Boston Islamic group

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http://www.wcvb.com/news/iowa-man-pleads-guilty-to-threatening-boston-islamic-group/34577082



Gerald Wayne Ledford admits to leaving threats on Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center's Facebook page

Iowa man pleads guilty to threatening Boston Islamic group
UPDATED 5:35 PM EDT Aug 06, 2015

DAVENPORT, Iowa —An Iowa man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal hate crime after admitting he posted messages threatening to kill Muslims on the Facebook page of a Boston Islamic group.

Gerald Wayne Ledford of Clinton pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threatening communication in interstate commerce.

The 57-year-old admitted to leaving two threats on the Facebook page for the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in October. One included a photo of a man with a long gun and said, in part, "This is for you, followers of the (expletive) Mohamed." The other said Muslims "will go to hell with you're (sic) father satan" and that "we will destroy you here" and in other countries.

Under a plea agreement made public Thursday, Ledford admitted he targeted the group, which is located in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and operates a mosque and other services, because of its religious affiliation. That means his recommended sentence under federal guidelines will be enhanced because of the hate crime motivation, according to the agreement.