21 Year Old Pleads Guilty To Making Online Threats To Troy Police

Take a minute and think back to the summertime, when it was hot outside, and the nation was embroiled in protests over the death of George Floyd.

Protests were not just happening in the US, people were protesting all over the world against police brutality. I understand the right to peaceful protests, but a Troy man took his protests a little too far and ended up in jail. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty in federal court.

According to BigRapids On June 5, 2020, 21-year old Jhajuan Sabb appeared on Facebook Live making threats against the Troy Police Department. He said, “we’re going to brick City Hall and we’re gonna brick the police station, and all the cop cars”. He went on to give instructions on how bombs could be made using bottles. The next day he was in jail because he took his comments a little bit too far.

According to an FBI affidavit, Mr. Sabb was accused of interstate threats to injure another person. He was also accused of teaching the making or use of an explosive or destructive device, and/or the distribution by any means of information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture or use of an explosive or destructive device, with the intent that the teaching, demonstration, or information be used for, or in furtherance of, and activity that constitutes a federal crime of violence. In other words, he committed a federal offense when he gave instructions on how to make a bomb.

Mr. Sabb is scheduled for sentencing on March 3, he could be sentenced to five years in prison for these offenses. Someone spending years in jail for making idle threats does nothing to help us achieve our goal of equal justice.

Powerful Photos Show Worldwide Impact of George Floyd’s Death