Texan Imprisoned Over COVID-19 Hoax

A man from Texas has been sentenced to 15 months in federal jail soon after lying on social media.  

San Antonio resident Christopher Charles Perez, also recognized as Christopher Robbins, posted two messages on Fb in April 2020 in which he falsely claimed to have employed a particular person infected with COVID-19 to lick things on screen at grocery suppliers.

Perez, who is aged 40, reported in the messages that merchandise for sale in a number of retailers in the San Antonio area had been licked. 

The US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said Perez posted the “threatening” messages “to scare individuals absent from checking out the suppliers.”

On April 5, 2020, a screenshot of the 1st information posted by Perez was sent to the Southwest Texas Fusion Centre (SWTFC) by means of an on the web idea. SWTFC then contacted the FBI place of work in San Antonio, which investigated the issue and discovered the threats designed by Perez to be untrue.   

“Perez did not pay someone to deliberately spread coronavirus at grocery suppliers, according to investigators and Perez’s have admissions,” explained the US Attorney’s Office environment in a statement printed October 4.

Following the FBI investigation into his social media posts, Perez was billed with two counts of 18 U.S.C. § 1038, which criminalizes wrong data and hoaxes relevant to biological weapons. 

A federal jury identified him guilty of the expenses, and on Monday Perez was handed a custodial sentence and purchased to pay a $1,000 good. 

“Those who would threaten to use COVID-19 as a weapon against many others will be held accountable for their actions, even if the risk was a hoax,” reported FBI San Antonio Division Particular Agent in Cost Christopher Combs. “Perez’s actions had been knowingly designed to distribute fear and panic, and today’s sentencing illustrates the seriousness of this criminal offense.”

US Legal professional Ashley Hoff said that “trying to scare persons with the threat of spreading hazardous conditions is no joking matter.”

She included: “This workplace can take severely threats to hurt the local community and will prosecute them to the entire extent of the legislation.”

Some parts of this article are sourced from:
www.infosecurity-magazine.com