Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 1 of 39

BY ECF & Hand

July 22, 2019

The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States District Judge
Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10007
Re:

United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc
18 Cr. 820 (JSR)

Dear Judge Rakoff:
A series of traumatic events pushed Cesar Sayoc further and further into the
margins of society. Kind-hearted and eager to please, Mr. Sayoc was born with
cognitive limitations and severe learning disabilities that made it difficult for him to
maintain relationships and succeed in school. As a boy, he was abandoned by his
father and sexually abused by a teacher at his Catholic school. As a man, he became
increasingly estranged from his family and dependent on drugs, particularly steroids.
He lost everything in the Great Recession. By 2018, he was living alone in a decrepit
and cramped van that had been his home for more than a decade. A typical day saw
Mr. Sayoc waking up in his van, showering at the gym, and cooking crockpot meals
while inside the DJ booth of a strip club before heading off to his second job delivering
pizza. As he grew older and more isolated, excessive steroid use increased his feelings
of anxiety and paranoia.
In this darkness, Mr. Sayoc found light in Donald J. Trump. His infatuation
with the President began as something personal, not political. When he was most
down, Mr. Sayoc relied on self-help books on tape to keep going. Donald Trump’s
books on success and business were his favorites. Mr. Sayoc was an ardent Trump
fan and, when Trump announced he was running for President, Mr. Sayoc
enthusiastically supported him. He began watching Fox News religiously at the gym,
planning his morning workout to coincide with Fox and Friends and his evenings to
dovetail with Hannity. Mr. Sayoc’s family had historically been Democrats and this
was Mr. Sayoc’s first foray into politics. He firmly believed in Donald Trump the

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 2 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 2

person and wanted him to be President. To that end, Mr. Sayoc passionately
championed the President on social media and at rallies and covered his van with
stickers supporting President Trump and criticizing his political opponents. Through
these actions, Mr. Sayoc found the sense of community that he had been missing for
so many years.
Mr. Sayoc was enthusiastic and credulous. Because of his cognitive limitations
and mental illness, he believed outlandish reports in the news and on social media,
which increasingly made him unhinged. He became obsessed with “attacks” from
those he perceived as Trump’s enemies. He believed stories shared on Facebook that
Trump supporters were being beaten in the streets. He came to believe that he was
being personally targeted for supporting Trump: Mr. Sayoc thought that anti-Trump
forces were trying to hurt him and they were to blame when his van was vandalized.
In the lead up to the 2018 mid-term elections, Mr. Sayoc became increasingly
obsessive, paranoid, and angry. He conflated his personal situation with the
perceived struggles of Trump supporters across the country, and even the President
himself. His paranoia bled into delusion and Mr. Sayoc came to believe that
prominent Democrats were actively working to hurt him, other Trump supporters,
and the country as a whole. Mr. Sayoc became obsessed with this idea and found
himself unable to think of anything else. He repeatedly lashed out at Democrats on
social media in vitriolic terms. He then decided to act out—to send a message, to try
to intimidate and scare Trump’s perceived enemies. After months suffering from
these delusional beliefs and while using large doses of steroids, his heightened
paranoia and anger pushed him to commit these offenses. Mr. Sayoc constructed
devices designed to look like pipe bombs and mailed them to prominent Democrats.
In Mr. Sayoc’s mind, he was sending a hoax device, and he had no true grasp of the
severity of his crimes or the potential ramifications of his actions. Now, nearly a year
later, he understands how deeply wrong his actions were, and he is truly sorry for
sending these packages.
Mr. Sayoc is 57 years old. He has no prior history of actual violence against
others. In real life, he is almost uniformly described as friendly and affable, in sharp
contrast to the tone of his online posts. He has a steady work history. He was a
devoted son and grandson before his recent personal disintegration created distance
between himself and his family. Nonetheless, his family remains supportive of him
and willing to assist in his rehabilitation. Both Dr. Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D., a
leading psychiatrist and expert in the field of steroid use, and Dr. Michael First, M.D.,
an expert in clinical psychiatry, believe Mr. Sayoc’s actions here were the product of

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 3 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 3

his long-untreated mental illness, compounded by excessive steroid use. See Exs. A &
C. 1 The packages that Mr. Sayoc mailed were not functional as bombs and it was
unlikely that they would have exploded. In fact, no one was physically injured by
these offenses. All of these factors militate in favor of a below-Guidelines sentence:
Mr. Sayoc does not deserve or need to die in prison.
For all of the reasons described below, we ask the Court to impose a total
sentence of 121 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a substantial period of
community supervision.
Mr. Sayoc’s Difficult Childhood
Cesar Sayoc was born in 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, and he is 57 years old.
See Presentence Investigation Report (“PSR”) ¶ 236. His father was one of nine
brothers born and raised in the Philippines by a prominent military figure and plastic
surgeon, Burgos Topacio Sayoc and his wife Severina, see Ex. E at 1 (Letter from
Kimberly Sayoc). His mother Madeline is from an Italian-American family that
settled in Brooklyn. PSR ¶ 238. Mr. Sayoc remembers his earliest years as his
happiest because he was living with his maternal grandparents, whom he looked up
to as his heroes and doted on him as the first-born child. Id. His sisters, Sabrina and
Christina were born one year and five years after him. Id. ¶ 237. Life changed,
however, when his father, also named Cesar Sayoc, moved his young family to Florida
in the mid-1960s to start a wholesale import business. See Ex. F at 1 (Letter from
Madeline Giardiello). Once in Florida, Mr. Sayoc’s father was gone every six months,
telling Madeline that he was setting up a warehouse in the Philippines. Mr. Sayoc
felt “alone” without his grandparents, and he had difficulty adapting to his new
surroundings. Id.; PSR ¶ 238.
Madeline did her best to care for the three children, working two full-time jobs
to make ends meet while her husband was away. Ex. F. Then, her world was upended.
One of Mr. Sayoc’s uncles revealed to Madeline that her husband was not telling her
Dr. Harrison G. Pope, Jr. is a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
and the Director of the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory at McLean Hospital,
Harvard’s principal psychiatric teaching hospital. His curriculum vitae is attached as
Exhibit B. Dr. Michael B. First is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia
University and a Research Psychiatrist at the Biometrics Department at the New
York State Psychiatric Institute. His curriculum vitae is attached as Exhibit D. Dr.
Pope and Dr. First are available if the Court would like them to be present on the
date of Mr. Sayoc’s sentencing.
1

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 4 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 4

the truth. Id. Instead of using the money she was sending him from her jobs on their
business, he was squandering it to womanize and use drugs. Id. When Cesar Sayoc,
Sr. returned from one long trip, Madeline divorced him. Id. Mr. Sayoc’s father had
severely damaged the family financially and emotionally. The family became
destitute, Madeline fell into a depression, and Mr. Sayoc was utterly devastated that
his father left his life. PSR ¶ 239. Before he left the home, Mr. Sayoc’s father had told
him that he would one day “come back to get him.” Ex. F at 1; PSR ¶ 239. He never
did. Cesar Sayoc, Sr. did not send birthday cards, pay alimony, or return to Mr.
Sayoc’s life. Ex. F at 1. It was a crushing blow for the young boy.

A Young Mr. Sayoc at His Grandparent’s Home
With her husband gone, Madeline noticed several changes in Mr. Sayoc’s
personality. He isolated himself, “started acting out at home and wasn’t himself.” Id.;
PSR ¶ 240. For years, Mr. Sayoc believed his father would return. He believed this so
fervently that he refused to connect with Madeline’s new husband, whom she married
when Mr. Sayoc was a teenager. Id. ¶ 241. Mr. Sayoc could not bring himself to grow
“attached again and be abandoned [again].” Ex. E; see also Letter from his sister
Christina Villasana (attached as Exhibit G) (“He always was waiting for . . . his
biological father to come back for him.”); Letter from his old friend Dr. Eric Ciliberti
(attached as Exhibit H) (“[H]is father’s disappearance had . . . a dramatic effect on
Mr. Sayoc’s personality and behavior.”). Even years later, his friend Dr. Eric Ciliberti
felt that Mr. Sayoc “never recovered.” Id.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 5 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 5

Mr. Sayoc’s struggle with the loss of his father was exacerbated by his cognitive
limitations. While in elementary school, Mr. Sayoc was diagnosed with “severe
learning disabilities” and required a “highly individualized program” of education.
PSR ¶ 263. Madeline recalls that he was also diagnosed with dyslexia and suffered
from hyperactivity and stuttering. Id. ¶ 242. Mr. Sayoc bounced between various
elementary schools without achieving academic success or making real social
connections. Id. ¶ 242. Then, in 1973, his mother sent him to boarding school at St.
Stanislaus School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in the hopes of helping him get on
track. Ex. F at 1–2; PSR ¶ 264.

Mr. Sayoc’s Sixth Grade Yearbook Photo from St. Stanislaus
Almost immediately after arriving at the school, Mr. Sayoc called his mother
daily “begging to come home.” Ex. F at 1–2. One of the supervising priests in his dorm,
Brother Raymond, was sexually abusing him. PSR ¶ 243; Ex. I (Nov. 27, 2013
settlement letter). At first, Brother Raymond would approach Mr. Sayoc’s bunk while
the other boys were sleeping and fondle his genitals. Later the abuse ramped up, with
Brother Raymond raping Mr. Sayoc. PSR ¶ 243. Mr. Sayoc attempted to report the
abuse, but he was not believed, and thereafter Brother Raymond attempted to isolate
Mr. Sayoc to ensure he did not make further reports. Id. Finally, Mr. Sayoc escaped
the school when he called his mother and threatened to kill himself—without telling
her why—if she did not come to get him. Id. He returned home to South Florida even
more distraught and broken than before.
Madeline writes that “Cesar was never the same after his time at the boarding
school.” Ex. F at 2. He stayed in his room and stopped participating in family events.
Id.; PSR ¶ 244. He began suffering from extreme anxiety, paranoia, and nightmares.
Id. ¶ 256. He felt worthless because of what happened to him. In 1976, he entered
North Miami Beach High School with poor reading comprehension and math skills
(scoring in the bottom 11% in the State of Florida in reading and bottom 26% in
math), and he continued to struggle academically throughout the next four years. See

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 6 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 6

Ex. J at 2 (North Miami Beach Transcript). His youngest sister Christina writes in
her letter to the Court that Mr. Sayoc’s “intelligen[ce] level was quite low” and that
he was a “fantasy land talker” with no friends. Ex. G at 1. She “felt sorry for him
because of his IQ level” and the difficulties he had in school and then later at work.
Id.
Academics were always difficult for Mr. Sayoc, and he believes he only
graduated because his grandmother, who had moved to Florida, tutored him and
helped him pass some of his classes. PSR ¶ 266. Although distant from the rest of his
family, he was close to his grandparents. They reminded him of the happier times of
his early childhood (before the abuse and his father leaving), and they were available
to him in a way his mother could not be because of her busy work schedule.

Mr. Sayoc with his Grandparents at his High School Graduation
Beyond the comfort of his grandparents’ home, where Mr. Sayoc began living
in high school, soccer was the only area of his life that brought him joy. Id. ¶ 245. He
played it all four years of school, and his coach Victor Cappillo remembers Mr. Sayoc
as a “highly skilled and competitive High School soccer player” who demonstrated
good sportsmanship. Ex. K (Letter from Victor Cappillo). His sister Christina writes
that Mr. Sayoc loved the sport and he was “great at it.” Ex. G at 1. Although Mr.
Sayoc found an escape on the soccer field, he was still suffering and failing to cope
with the abuse he experienced. Small for his age and with a stutter, Mr. Sayoc was
bullied at school. Ex. A at 3. As a result, he turned to steroids to get stronger—as Dr.
Pope notes, Mr. Sayoc hoped that he would not be victimized again if he were strong

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 7 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 7

enough to fight back. Id. Mr. Sayoc was unusually young to be using steroids, and he
began a lifelong dependency on them. Id.; PSR ¶ 258.
Mr. Sayoc left home in 1980 to attend Brevard Junior College in Brevard,
North Carolina. Id. ¶ 267. He chose that school because it invited him to join the
soccer team with some of his high school teammates. There, he performed poorly in
his classes but played well enough to draw the attention of the University of Central
Florida (“UCF”) soccer team. Id. ¶ 268; see also Ex. L (Transcript from Brevard Junior
College). In 1982, UCF offered Mr. Sayoc an athletic scholarship and invited him to
join the team. UCF was a much larger campus than Brevard, and the size and
pressure of the school affected Mr. Sayoc greatly. After arriving on campus for
summer workouts, Mr. Sayoc had a panic attack and returned to his grandparents’
apartment in South Florida. He could not bring himself to return to the school and
lost his chance at the scholarship. He never played for UCF.
Depressed and anxious about his missed opportunity, Mr. Sayoc made the best
of living with his grandparents, whom he helped to care for. He worked for his
stepfather’s construction business and in the catering industry. Id. ¶ 277. He also
took courses at the local community college. A year later, a friend from Brevard got
in touch and gave him another chance to play soccer, this time at the University of
North Carolina in Charlotte (“UNC”). Id. ¶ 269. He played on the 1983 team, but the
rigors of university academics and the social pressures of college proved too much for
him. He left UNC without a degree.

Profile of Mr. Sayoc for the UNC 1983 Soccer Team

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 8 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 8

Mr. Sayoc’s Life on the Margins in Adulthood
Although college was difficult for Mr. Sayoc, it provided structure and purpose,
and he loved being part of a soccer team. Unfortunately, his mental health and
cognitive limitations made it impossible for him to continue in school, and in the mid1980s he returned to South Florida and his grandparents. Over the next several
years, his financial challenges, growing dependence on steroids, and family
difficulties precipitated his descent into isolation. Mr. Sayoc worked for a construction
company, a concession stand at sporting events, a newspaper delivery service, and
various caterers at Jewish temples near his grandparents’ condo. Id. ¶ 277. He also
took his role as his grandparents’ caretaker seriously. Madeline writes that Mr. Sayoc
did “everything for them. He fed them, gave them things to drink, and wash[ed]
them.” Ex. F at 2. Other family members agree that Mr. Sayoc was always generous
and caring with his loved ones, deferential and respectful of his elders, and that he
went out of his way to help those he loved. See Ex. E at 1; Ex. G at 2; Letter from
Patricia Bonire (attached as Exhibit M); Letter from Theresa Sharp (attached as
Exhibit N); Letter from Yvette Ciliberti (attached as Exhibit O); Letter from Joanne
Marrazzo (attached as Exhibit P).
In spite of his unending love for them, Mr. Sayoc’s relationship with his
grandparents became strained in the early 1990s when he began working at strip
clubs. As a naturally shy person, Mr. Sayoc was drawn to these clubs because they
brought him in contact with women and helped to get him out of his shell. His foray
into the exotic dance profession also brought an increase in his steroid use. In order
to work as a bouncer, and later as an entertainer, Mr. Sayoc believed he needed to
bulk up. Dr. Pope writes that this profession is common among younger steroid users.
Ex. A at 3. By taking more drugs, Mr. Sayoc became more volatile, and his family
members noticed that something was amiss. See Ex. F at 2. In 1994, this came to a
breaking point. Mr. Sayoc became “verbally abusive” and got into an argument with
his grandfather and pushed him. Id. His grandparents then asked Mr. Sayoc to leave
their home, which broke his heart. He was “lost without them, completely
devastated.” Id.
After this rift, Mr. Sayoc left South Florida to travel with an exotic dance revue.
His group traveled to various strip clubs across the country to perform their routine,
and Mr. Sayoc eventually helped with bookings and management. He also used
steroids regularly and suffered from mood swings. See Ex. A at 3–4. Mr. Sayoc worked
hard to maintain his physique, taking up to 170 vitamins a day and working out
regularly. PSR ¶ 254. He and his troupe would crisscross the nation hoping to book
several shows in each city before moving to the next one. He visited Minnesota,

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 9 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 9

Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, where he married another exotic dancer in
1998. Id. ¶ 246. This relationship lasted for three months and then he never saw his
ex-wife again. He did not remarry or have children. In 2000, after nearly six years on
the road, Mr. Sayoc saved up money to open a dry-cleaning business with a friend
back home. He returned to his grandparents in South Florida, who were older and
needed assistance more than ever before.
Mr. Sayoc reconnected with his grandparents and apologized for his past
behavior. He reconciled with his grandfather before he passed away later that year
and continued to help care for his grandmother until her death six years later. Unable
to manage a complicated enterprise, Mr. Sayoc had trouble running his dry-cleaning
business. In 2002, he was arrested after getting into a dispute with the Florida Power
and Light Company, the utility that supplied his business’s electricity. Id. ¶ 222. In
a heated argument with a customer service representative, Mr. Sayoc threated to
blow up the company if they shut off the dry-cleaner’s power. Id. He had no such plan,
but the stress of running the business and the rising financial costs, coupled with his
erratic emotional state, triggered this outburst. Id.; see also Ex. A at 3. In the wake
of 9/11, the police took this threat seriously and arrested him, resulting in a period of
probation which he successfully completed. Id. Unfortunately, this probationary
period did not include the meaningful, long-term mental health treatment that Mr.
Sayoc needed. It also did not deter his later return to heavy steroid use.
At the time of this incident, Mr. Sayoc’s dry-cleaning business had already
been struggling for some time, and it closed soon thereafter, taking much of the
money Mr. Sayoc had saved in the preceding years with it. Mr. Sayoc believes that
his partner stole his share of what remained, and they had a falling out over the
business’s failure. He returned to strip clubs and attempted to revive his male revue,
with limited success. Starting in 2005, he worked at Tootsie’s Cabaret, a large club
in Miami. Id. ¶ 277. He stayed there until 2007, when he moved to Solid Gold
Entertainment, a strip club in Pompano Beach. Id. ¶ 276. During this period, Mr.
Sayoc purchased his first home with the help of his aunt, who is a real estate broker.
See Ex. N. Unfortunately, he made this purchase at the height of the real estate
bubble. He was foreclosed on during the Great Recession. He moved out of his new
house less than two years later, and filed for bankruptcy in 2012, with a debt of
$21,109. Id. ¶ 280. He has been homeless ever since. Id. ¶¶ 248–49. He packed up his
possessions and moved them to his van and trailer, where he lived for the ten years
preceding his arrest for this case in October 2018.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 10 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Exterior of Mr. Sayoc’s Van

Mr. Sayoc’s Bed in His Van

Page 10

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 11 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Mr. Sayoc’s Clothes in His Van

Exterior of Mr. Sayoc’s Trailer

Page 11

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 12 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 12

Interior of Mr. Sayoc’s Trailer
See also Ex. Q (collected photos of Mr. Sayoc’s van).
The Great Recession left no part of this country unscathed, but South Florida
faced particularly severe economic problems. As noted by the Brookings Institution,
South Florida suffered more during the Great Recession than nearly every other
major metropolitan area in the United States. See Douglas Hanks, Report: South
Florida Area among Hardest Hit by Recession, SUN SENTINEL (Jun. 10, 2010). 2
During these trying times, Mr. Sayoc struggled to find work. After getting back into
strip clubs in 2011, he worked as a bouncer, DJ, and host while also delivering pizza
for Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and other restaurants. See id. ¶¶ 274–76. He
occasionally launched and managed revues for a younger generation of dancers. See
Ex. R (Letter from Justin Humberger). Throughout these years, Mr. Sayoc showered
at his local gym and, aside from his van, never had a steady place to live. He would
often cook and eat his meals at work in a portable crockpot, causing his co-workers to
complain. Ex. S (FBI interview of Philip Costa). At times, he was desperate for money,
and he was arrested on several occasions for petty theft, which resulted in
probationary sentences. See PSR ¶¶ 225–28. Mr. Sayoc regrets these crimes, and he
recognizes that his stealing was wrong and unacceptable.

Available at https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-xpm-2010-06-16-fl-southflorida-economy-mh-20100616-story.htm (last visited Jul. 18, 2019).
2

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 13 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 13

Mr. Sayoc’s Political Radicalization
Mr. Sayoc’s lack of a stable place to live, growing estrangement from his family,
and increasing social isolation fueled his mental health problems. His mother and
sisters did not hear from him for long stretches, and at times he was actively suicidal.
See Ex. F at 2; Ex. G at 2. His behavior and mood fluctuated radically. During this
time, he told an attorney Don Jones about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child,
and Mr. Jones helped Mr. Sayoc sue St. Stanislaus. PSR ¶ 243; Ex. I; Ex. T (Letter
from Don Jones, Esq.). Mr. Sayoc received only a small amount of money from the
civil settlement of his lawsuit, which compounded his frustration and sadness over
what had happened to him. He had suffered abuse, relived agonizing memories by
finally revealing them to others, and for what? He felt victimized again. The legal
process also catalyzed his mounting sense of paranoia, grief, and anger.
When he was feeling most depressed, Mr. Sayoc sought spiritual advice and
guidance outside the church. He found a spiritual advisor, Lisa Massa, who was
working out of a strip mall in South Florida. He visited her regularly for advice,
blessings, and prediction ceremonies. Mr. Sayoc spent money for her to light candles
on his behalf and to read cigar smoke to tell his fortune. See Alexia Campbell,
Perfecting a Potion for Work, Wealth, SUN SENTINEL (Apr. 4, 2009). 3
He also began listening to motivational books on tape. It was from these books
that he discovered Donald Trump, whose audiobooks Mr. Sayoc credits with saving
his life. As the attorney representing Mr. Sayoc in his civil suit wrote in November
2013, “Not unlike many victims of childhood sexual abuse, Cesar has had great
difficulty talking about or confronting the abuse. . . . Cesar’s coping approach has
been to rely upon self-help tapes from Anthony Robbins and Donald Trump, which he
listens to obsessively.” Ex. I. Mr. Jones elaborates in his letter to this Court, “Mr.
Sayoc found in Donald Trump a sort of surrogate father.” Ex. T. Ron Lowy, another
attorney who previously represented Mr. Sayoc, agreed with Mr. Jones. Mr. Lowy
said, “He was looking for some type of parental figure and being a loner, being an
outcast, being the kind of person Trump speaks to, I think he was attracted to Trump
as a father figure.” Jack Healy, et al., Cesar Sayoc, Mail Bombing Suspect, Found an
Identity in Political Rage and Resentment, N.Y. TIMES (Oct. 27, 2018). 4
Available at https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2009-04-04-0904030190story.html (last visited Jul. 18, 2019).
3

Available
at
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/us/cesar-altieri-sayocbomber.html (last visited Jul. 18, 2019).

4

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 14 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 14

Mr. Sayoc viewed Donald Trump as everything he wanted to be: self-made,
successful, and a “playboy.” He listened to titles such as Think like a Billionaire:
Everything You Need to Know about Success, Real Estate, and Life and Trump: How
to Get Rich. The tapes helped Mr. Sayoc dream of a better life and motivated him to
keep going. He pushed himself to work multiple jobs at once to get back on his feet.
See PSR ¶¶ 271–75. He followed Donald Trump’s career, watched his television
shows, purchased Trump-branded products, and attended a Trump-sponsored career
coaching event in South Florida. He was a Donald Trump super-fan.
Then, Donald Trump decided to run for President. This decision had a profound
effect on Mr. Sayoc—he found a calling for the first time in years. Before 2015, Mr.
Sayoc was not especially political. He did not vote, volunteer for candidates, go to
political rallies, or follow most political issues. Old friends, acquaintances, and family
members do not remember him ever speaking to them about political issues or
politicians. See, e.g., Ex F at 2; Ex. G at 2. But when Donald Trump announced his
candidacy, Mr. Sayoc came to view Trump as a personal champion—someone who
had helped him through the most difficult periods of his life and who could do the
same for other people across the country. He threw himself into the campaign by
attending rallies, passing out flyers, and covering his van in pro-Trump stickers,
including some that he had custom printed.
Mr. Sayoc’s experiences campaigning for the President further fueled his
Trump obsession. As Don Jones explains, “During [Cesar’s] involvement with the
campaign events, he became more and more attached to the belief that the cause of
‘making America great again’ through Trump’s election would somehow also include
making the unfair world he had previously been exposed to by weak men in his life
better.” Ex. T.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 15 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 15

Photos on Mr. Sayoc’s Van
See also Ex. U (collected photos of Mr. Sayoc’s political stickers).

Mr. Sayoc at a Trump Rally
Mr. Sayoc began watching Fox News religiously and following Trump
supporters on social media. He became a vocal political participant on Facebook,
something he had not done previously. He was not discerning of the pro-Trump
information he received, and by the time of his arrest, he was “connected” to hundreds
of right-wing Facebook groups. Many of these groups promoted various conspiracy
theories and, more generally, the idea that Trump’s critics were dangerous,
unpatriotic, and evil. See Ex. V (excerpting social media posts that Mr. Sayoc received

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 16 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 16

from some of these groups). They deployed provocative language to depict Democrats
as murderous, terroristic, and violent. See id. Fox News furthered these arguments.
For example, just days before Mr. Sayoc mailed his packages, Sean Hannity said on
his program that a large “number of Democratic leaders [were] encouraging mob
violence against their political opponents.” Hannity Transcript, FOX NEWS (Oct. 11,
2018). 5
Mr. Sayoc was also an avid follower of @RealDonaldTrump, Donald Trump’s
Twitter page, where Trump posted prolifically about his political enemies, including
all of the recipients of Mr. Sayoc’s mailings. See Ex. W (selection of President Trump’s
tweets). In his tweets, Trump portrayed these individuals as dangerous, corrupt, and
un-American. See id. For example, he suggested that anti-Trump protestors were
paid agents of billionaire George Soros and that Hillary Clinton should be prosecuted
for corruption and put in jail. Id.
Mr. Sayoc was particularly susceptible to believing these dubious stories of
Democratic malfeasance. The combination of his cognitive deficiencies, steroidinduced delusional thinking, political naiveté, and his isolation resulted in Mr. Sayoc
being unable to critically evaluate these claims. He lived alone in a claustrophobic
van, did not have close relationships with his remaining family members, and did not
have friends or loved ones to help puncture his alternative reality. He truly believed
wild conspiracy theories he read on the internet, many of which vilified Democrats
and spread rumors that Trump supporters were in danger because of them. He heard
it from the President of the United States, a man with whom he felt he had a deep
personal connection. He read it on almost every website he visited. He saw it on Fox
News, which he watched at the start and end of his day. And it was reinforced to him
on social media.
In this bubble, Mr. Sayoc personalized the misinformation to which he was
exposed. He began to consider Democrats as not just dangerous in theory, but
imminently and seriously dangerous to his personal safety. President Trump did
nothing to dissuade this message. In the lead up to the 2018 mid-term elections,
President Trump warned his supporters that they were in danger from Democrats,
and at times condoned violence against his critics and “enemies.” See Meghan
Keneally, A Look Back at Trump Comments Perceived by some as Encouraging
Available at https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/candace-owens-john-james-onkanyes-oval-office-meeting (last visited Jul. 18, 2019).
5

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 17 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 17

Violence, ABC NEWS (Oct. 19, 2018). 6 At a rally in October 2018, around the time Mr.
Sayoc sent the packages, President Trump announced that Democrats “destroy
people. They want to destroy people. These are really evil people.” See Maggie
Haberman & Peter Baker, Trump Taunts Christine Blasey Ford at Rally, N.Y. TIMES
(Oct. 2, 2018). 7 In his statements, Trump specifically blamed many of the individuals
whom Mr. Sayoc ultimately targeted with his packages. For example, on June 25,
2018, President Trump tweeted:

See also Ex. W.
A rational observer may have brushed off Trump’s tweets as hyperbole, but
Mr. Sayoc took them to heart. He was credulous, paranoid, and using large doses of
steroids and supplements. Mr. Sayoc first began using steroids in high school and
used them chronically throughout his adult life. In addition to his own self-reports,
numerous people who know him attest to Mr. Sayoc’s steroid use. See Ex. F at 2; see
also Lia Eustachewich, Suspected Mail Bomber was a Stripper with a ‘Steroid

Available at https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/back-trump-comments-perceivedencouraging-violence/story?id=48415766 (last visited Jul. 22, 2019).

6

Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/trump-me-too.html
(last visited Jul. 19, 2019).
7

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 18 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 18

Problem’, N.Y. POST (Oct. 26, 2018). 8 This use is also clear in pictures of him over the
years. See id.
Mr. Sayoc’s steroid usage ramped up considerably in 2018. He began working
at Ultra, a strip club in West Palm Beach, and he wanted to bulk up for that job. PSR
¶ 272. The FBI’s investigation of Mr. Sayoc verified his steroid use: agents spoke to
one of his recent steroid dealers, who turned over text exchanges he had with Mr.
Sayoc about the drugs. Mr. Sayoc’s van and trailer were filled with needles, old
steroids, supplements, and receipts for some of the other substances Mr. Sayoc had
purchased for himself. See Ex. X (documenting Mr. Sayoc’s steroid usage). As Mr.
Sayoc admitted to Dr. Pope, he was using far more steroids than usual in 2018
because at his new job “size and image [was] everything.” Ex. A at 4.

Needles Found in Mr. Sayoc’s Van at the Time of His Arrest

Available at nypost.com/2018/10/26/suspected-mail-bomber-was-a-stripper-with-asteroid-problem/ (last visited Jul. 22, 2019)).
8

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 19 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 19

Supplements Found in Mr. Sayoc’s Van at the Time of his Arrest
The world of conspiracy and danger blurred with Mr. Sayoc’s real life, and he
believed liberals, under the direction of Democratic leaders, sought to harm and kill
him because of his support for Donald Trump. Mr. Sayoc’s political obsessions became
increasingly debilitating, to the point that he could think of little else. Id. at 5. For
example, he became convinced, that because of the stickers he had supporting
President Trump, liberals had broken the window of his van, slashed its tires, and
tried to kill him by cutting its fuel wires. Id. at 4. Mr. Sayoc reported the damage to
the police, the repairs were costly, and Mr. Sayoc no longer felt safe sleeping in his
van at night. See Ex. Y (police report and receipts documenting van repair).

Excerpt from Mr. Sayoc’s Letter to the Court, ECF No. 26 at 17

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 20 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 20

In the same vein, after reading that a Papa John’s deliveryman was shot and
killed in New York, Mr. Sayoc became convinced that Papa John’s deliverymen like
him were being executed all across the country as retribution for certain racist
remarks made by the founder of Papa John’s. See Georgett Roberts & Gabrielle
Fonrouge, Pizza Deliveryman Shot Dead Outside Papa John’s, N.Y. POST (Aug. 30,
2018); 9 Tiffany Hsu, Racial Slur Leads to Papa John’s Founder Quitting Chairman
Post, N.Y. TIMES (Jul. 11, 2018). 10 Then, after hearing about Antifa, a left-wing
militant group that had clashed with Trump supporters, Mr. Sayoc worried that they
were personally targeting him.
Mr. Sayoc’s obsession and fear deepened as the mid-term elections drew closer.
As part of the candle-burning ceremonies with his spiritual advisor, Mr. Sayoc came
to believe that he could influence the election through his writing and Ms. Massa’s
rituals. He drafted rambling lists of Democrats that he wanted the candles to affect
negatively, and designed more stickers for his van alleging that Democrats murdered
Trump supporters and supported ISIS. See Ex. Z (collected photos of Mr. Sayoc’s
writing found in his van).

Example of Mr. Sayoc’s Drawing of a Custom Window Decal
Available at https://nypost.com/2018/08/30/pizza-deliveryman-shot-dead-outsidepapa-johns (last visited Jul. 17, 2019).
9

Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/11/business/papa-johns-racialslur.html (last visited Jul. 22, 2019).
10

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 21 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 21

A few weeks before the November 2018 mid-term elections, Mr. Sayoc’s
obsession with the Democratic leadership boiled over and he made the biggest
mistake of his life. As the President ramped up his rhetoric predicting anarchy if the
Democrats won the election, and Mr. Sayoc perseverated on the belief that an
organized Democratic effort was to blame for the abuse he suffered and the damage
to his van, he committed these offenses.
Mr. Sayoc Mailed Devices Designed to Look Like Bombs
In the fall of 2018, the “slow boil” of Mr. Sayoc’s political obsessions and
delusional beliefs manifested in his construction and sending of 16 packages to
prominent Democratic figures. These packages included devices designed to look like
pipe bombs. As Mr. Sayoc explained to Dr. Pope, his obsessions became “increasingly
severe, to the point that he could think of little else” and he “resolved that he needed
to do something to scare or deter the prominent figures in the media and on the left.”
Ex. A at 5. Using the internet, Mr. Sayoc researched what mail bombs looked like and
how they were made. He constructed crude devices that were roughly 6 inches long,
slightly larger than a pen.

One of the Devices Next to a Pen for Scale
In connection with this case, the defense retained an expert in explosives and
forensic chemistry, Dale Mann of Engineering Systems Inc. (“ESi”). A copy of Mr.
Mann’s report and curriculum vitae are attached as Exhibits AA (“ESi Report”) and
BB. These documents have also been previously provided to the Court. ESi explains

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 22 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 22

that Mr. Sayoc’s devices were made from PVC pipe, with powder inside, and a small
digital clock taped to the front of the pipe. Ex. AA at 3. Mr. Sayoc took wires from the
clock and ran them into the pipe. But this was for show: the wires were not actually
connected to anything that could ignite and the digital clock was not set—it still had
the factory sticker over its face simulating a time display. Id. at 5. In a manila mailing
envelope with each device, Mr. Sayoc included a small envelope of powder (simulating
anthrax or some similar toxin) and a photograph of the recipient with a red “X” over
the picture. Id. at 3; PSR ¶ 73, 75. He deposited these packages in the mail.
Mr. Sayoc was delusional at this time, suffering from muddled and disjointed
thought processes. His goal was to scare, intimidate, and emotionally injure the
targets of these packages. But he did not actually want to kill or physically injure
anyone, and he did not think that the devices were capable of exploding, although he
has acknowledged the risk that the powder inside the devices could somehow have
exploded or caught fire and thereby caused injury or property damage. See Plea Tr.
at 8–10, Apr. 15, 2019, ECF No. 24; Plea Tr. 20–21, Mar. 21, 2019, ECF No. 20. Mr.
Sayoc targeted people he believed to be the enemies of President Trump and who he
perceived as presenting a danger to the country. Ironically, he somehow thought that
he was helping the country or defending it (and himself) from people who were
working to do harm. Mr. Sayoc loves the United States, its institutions, and its
people—he would never want to harm this country. As Dr. Pope summarizes, because
of distorted and delusional thinking, Mr. Sayoc did not appear to comprehend the
seriousness of his conduct, the consequences he would face, or the objective, external
appearance of his actions. Ex. A at 5. It was not until he began seeing news reports
related to this case that, in shock, he realized for the first time the severity of what
he had done. Id.
Mr. Sayoc sent the packages through the mail in October 2018, and he was
arrested soon after on October 26, 2018. He was charged by complaint on the same
day and indicted on November 9, 2018. On March 21, 2019, Mr. Sayoc pled guilty to
a superseding information pursuant to a plea agreement, and he will be sentenced on
August 5, 2019.
Mr. Sayoc’s Post-Arrest Conduct
In the nine months since Mr. Sayoc’s arrest, he has tried to adapt to life at the
Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”) while grappling with the serious nature of
his crime and the ramifications of his actions. Mr. Sayoc is truly sorry for what he
did. Madeline writes, “He has shown me such remorse over the phone. . . . He cries

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 23 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 23

and tells me how sorry he is.” Ex. F at 2. He is sorry for the fear he caused across the
country and has drafted personalized letters of apology to each of the victims in this
case. He knows what he did was wrong, and he wishes more than anything he could
go back in time and act differently.
Mr. Sayoc has sought psychological treatment for the first time in his adult
life. The first several months in the MCC were very challenging and after a suicide
attempt, he was kept on suicide watch. See Ex. CC (MCC medical records). He is now
taking anti-anxiety medication, which is helping him to stabilize after a lifetime of
anxiety, paranoia, and trauma. Id. Mr. Sayoc has not given up on life. More than
anything, he wishes for the chance to one day leave federal prison and show that he
has changed and can live within the bounds of the law.
Instead of watching political television, Mr. Sayoc has taken every course
available to him at the MCC, and he has excelled in his 15-hour Reflections course
and other programs designed to help him take responsibility for his actions. See Ex.
DD (Mr. Sayoc’s MCC transcript); Ex. EE (collected certificates earned by Mr. Sayoc).
Mr. Sayoc has also signed up to be an inmate companion to help others avoid the
temptation of suicide. The inmate companion program requires training and rigorous
dedication, staying up through the night with inmates on suicide watch to ensure
they are safe. When he is designated to his next BOP facility, Mr. Sayoc hopes to
continue his education and to enroll in additional vocational training. If he is
released, he plans to continue working in South Florida while volunteering to help
others with mental illness.
The Court Should Sentence Mr. Sayoc to 121 Months in Prison
Mr. Sayoc pled guilty to 65 counts: (i) 16 counts of using a weapon of mass
destruction, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332(a); (ii) 16 counts of interstate
transportation of an explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(d); (iii) 16 counts of
threatening interstate communications, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c); (iv) 16
counts of the illegal mailing of explosives, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1716(j)(2); and
(v) one count of using an explosive to commit a felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C.
§ 844(h).
Section 844(h) carries a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years in prison,
which may not run concurrently to any other prison term. The remaining counts have
no mandatory minimum sentence and the Court may sentence Mr. Sayoc to any
additional consecutive time it deems necessary to impose an overall prison term that

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 24 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 24

meets the ends of sentencing. See Dean v. United States, 137 S. Ct. 1170, 1176–77
(2017); United States v. Ballard, 599 F. Supp. 2d 539, 542 (S.D.N.Y. 2009).
“A sentencing judge has very wide latitude to decide the proper degree of
punishment for an individual offender and a particular crime.” United States v.
Cavera, 550 F.3d 180, 188 (2d Cir. 2008) (en banc). The Court must consider each of
the factors set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) to make an individualized sentencing
determination. See, e.g., Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 59 (2007). A sentencing
court begins by calculating the advisory Sentencing Guidelines. However, “[t]he
Guidelines are not only not mandatory on sentencing courts; they are also not to
be presumed reasonable.” Nelson v. United States, 555 U.S. 350, 352 (2009).
Rather than simply deferring to the Guidelines, a sentencing court must make
an individualized decision based on all of the factors set forth in § 3553(a). This
includes considering the history and characteristics of the offender; the nature and
circumstances of the offense; sentences for similarly-situated defendants; and the
need to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, provide just
punishment, deterrence, protection of the public, and rehabilitation of the offender.
18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The Court must impose a sentence that is “sufficient, but not
greater than necessary.” Id. Overall, as this Court has recognized, sentencing
“requires a court to consider, with great care and sensitivity, a large complex of facts
and factors. . . . [T]his complicated analysis, and moral responsibility” cannot be
“reduced to the mechanical adding-up of a small set of numbers artificially assigned
to a few arbitrarily-selected variables.” United States v. Gupta, 904 F. Supp. 2d 349,
350 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).
The United States Probation Office calculates an advisory Guidelines range of
life plus 120 months, based on an offense level of 43 and a criminal history category
of VI. PSR at 50. This comports with the parties’ plea agreement. The defense has no
legal objections to this calculation but urges the Court to impose a below-Guidelines
sentence of 121 months’ imprisonment total based on all of the statutory factors.
A total sentence of 121 months in prison, followed by a substantial period of
community supervision (with mental health counseling and drug treatment), is the
most just and appropriate sentence considering: (i) Mr. Sayoc’s personal
characteristics and history, including his record of trauma, his mental health
problems, his age, and his capacity for change, as demonstrated by his conduct since
his arrest and (ii) the nature and circumstances of his offenses, and comparing him
to similarly-situated defendants.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 25 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)
I.

Page 25

Mr. Sayoc’s history and characteristics call for a variance to 121
months’ imprisonment.
A. Mr. Sayoc’s traumatic childhood coupled with his cognitive
difficulties are reasons to impose a substantially belowGuidelines sentence.

The dual traumas of losing his father and being sexually abused at a boarding
school scarred Mr. Sayoc’s childhood and shaped his adulthood. These traumas were
further exacerbated by Mr. Sayoc’s cognitive limitations and severe learning
disabilities, which made it difficult for him to express his emotions and succeed in
school and the work force. These challenges were apparent to his school, PSR ¶ 263,
his family, see, e.g., Ex. F, and his peers, see Ex. H. As he grew older, Mr. Sayoc used
steroids in the hope of better protecting himself from further victimization, but they
also caused him to suffer psychologically. See Ex. A at 3; Ex. C at 10. He isolated
himself further and further into the margins of society, especially after his
grandparents passed away, making him more susceptible to powerfully negative
influences. Without the breakdown of his family support and the sexual abuse he
experienced, he may not have descended into the depths of anxiety, paranoia, and
anger that in part led him to commit these crimes. These factors should be considered
in crafting a just sentence.
B. Mr. Sayoc’s mental health at the time of the offense is a reason
to impose a substantially below-Guidelines sentence.
Given Mr. Sayoc’s limitations, his use of steroids had far-reaching negative
effects on his mental health. Dr. Harrison G. Pope, Jr. is a leading expert on the
psychiatric effects of steroids, with more than 3,500 scientific citations in the field.
Ex. A. at 2; see also Ex. B. In his report, Dr. Pope summarizes research, including his
own studies, which have “abundantly documented that steroids can cause some men
to develop severe psychological effects” including “irritability, aggressiveness,
violence, and criminal behavior.” Ex. A at 5. Steroids cause users to “develop profound
personality and mood changes, and to display aggressiveness, violence, or criminal
behavior that is entirely different from their normal personalities.” Id. at 7.
Moreover, rather than have a moment of “roid rage” as is the lay
understanding, “it is more common that steroid users will develop chronic obsessional
preoccupations that they cannot get out of their heads—a ‘slow boil’ rather than a
sudden loss of control.” Id.; see also id. at 8–9 (noting that steroids cause some men

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 26 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 26

to “develop prolonged, premeditated acts of aggression”). Further, many “users who
get these reactions are unable to tell that they are behaving abnormally until it is too
late,” a phenomenon called “anosognosia”—they cannot perceive that their “actions
are grossly abnormal” and, afterwards, “it is common that [the user] will look back
and be perplexed at how he could possibly have displayed such behavior.” Id. at 9.
Mr. Sayoc experienced this “slow boil” leading up to the 2018 mid-term
elections because he was using an extremely large dose of steroids—five different
steroids simultaneously—to bulk up for his new job at the Ultra strip club. Id. at 4.
On this dose, Mr. Sayoc felt “invincible,” became “pathologically obsessed” with
perceived actions by certain Democratic leaders, and was “unable to get the obsessive
thoughts out of his head, leading ultimately to his actions of constructing and
mailing” these devices. Id. at 9. Like many steroid users who suffer these effects, Mr.
Sayoc was also unable to “recognize what his behavior looked like when viewed
objectively from the outside.” Id. at 5. In short, Dr. Pope believes that the steroids Mr.
Sayoc was taking caused severe psychological effects that led him to commit these
offenses. Id. at 9–10. Furthermore, Dr. Pope opines that “if Mr. Sayoc had not been
using steroids in 2018, the alleged crimes would not have occurred.” Id. at 10.
Dr. Michael B. First of Columbia University came to similar conclusions. Dr.
First found that Mr. Sayoc was suffering from a personality disorder and the effects
of a “steroid-induced mental disorder with manic-like features” at the time he
committed these offenses, and that the “psychiatric changes caused by his steroid use,
working in concert with his maladaptive personality traits like emotional lability and
suspiciousness caused him to act out is self-destructive way.” Ex. C at 9, 10. Dr. First
agrees that Mr. Sayoc’s long devotion to steroids is inextricably linked to the abuse
he suffered as a child, as Mr. Sayoc believed that the abuse occurred in part because
he was weak and vulnerable. Id. Moreover, the abuse and the loss of his father led
Mr. Sayoc to suffer from chronic low self-esteem and feeling victimized and betrayed
throughout his life. Id. at 11. Dr. First opines that Mr. Sayoc’s psychological issues
caused “significant impairment in occupational, social, or other important areas of
functioning,” including feeling intense and volatile emotions, submissiveness to
others, withdrawing from his family and social activity, suspiciousness, and unusual
beliefs and experiences. Id. at 9–10. Dr. First finds that these feelings led to Mr. Sayoc
having many beliefs and ideas that bordered on delusion, in that while Mr. Sayoc now
acknowledges that certain delusional beliefs may not be true (for example, that his
spiritual advisor could control outcomes by lighting candles), Mr. Sayoc believed them
at the time of the offense.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 27 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 27

The accounts of Mr. Sayoc’s family, acquaintances, and co-workers further
support Dr. Pope’s and Dr. First’s expert opinions. The people in Mr. Sayoc’s life
expressed shock that Mr. Sayoc committed these offenses, given his usual caring and
sweet disposition. For example, Mr. Sayoc’s sister Christina describes him as “sweet,
gentle and kind, a lost teddy bear.” Ex. G at 2. His cousin Kimberly Sayoc relates that
he was always “very kind and respectful,” “upbeat and positive,” and acted in a caring
and devoted manner towards his extended family members, including his aunt, uncle,
and grandparents. Ex. E at 1. Justin Humberger, Mr. Sayoc’s friend and former
business partner in a male revue, describes him as someone who was “selfless” and
always professional at work. Ex. R. A former co-worker named Joseph Diekmann said
that he “would have never thought [My. Sayoc] would be capable of what he did” and
that in 20 years of knowing Mr. Sayoc, he “never [saw] any violent outbursts or
threats.” Ex. FF (FBI interview of Joseph Diekmann). Joe Saccal recounts that Mr.
Sayoc was “always very professional, polite, calm and courteous” at work. Ex. GG
(FBI interview of Joe Saccal). Stacey Saccal said “He was an asset to the club” and
she could not believe he committed these crimes, while Scott Migs, who also worked
with Mr. Sayoc, characterized him as “an extremely nice guy” who had helped him in
the past by working his shift when Mr. Migs needed to take care of his children. See
Cesar Sayoc: Alleged Pipe Bomb Mailer Worked as DJ at West Palm Strip Club Ultra
Thursday, ABC NEWS (Oct. 26, 2018). 11 Carey Jannelli, a fellow floor man at Ultra,
also described Mr. Sayoc as “friendly and jovial.” Ex. HH (FBI interview of Carey
Jannelli).
This dichotomy is entirely consistent with Dr. Pope’s findings that taking a
large dose of steroids may cause a person to display behavior that is “entirely different
from their normal personalities.” Ex. A at 7. In his letters to the Court, Mr. Sayoc has
expressed remorse for his actions and a recognition that he “was not in the right state
of mind” when he committed the offense. ECF No. 26 at 1, 5.
Since his arrest, Mr. Sayoc has worked to improve himself and to demonstrate
his capacity for rehabilitation. He has reconnected with his family, learned about the
negative mental and physical effects of steroid use, and actively sought psychological
counseling. He recognizes that steroids had a profoundly negative effect on his mind.
He has also begun to recognize the problems and deficiencies in his thinking and is
anxious to learn how to better cope with his paranoia and anxiety, such that he can
Available at https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/cesar-sayoc-allegedpipe-bomb-mailer-worked-as-dj-at-west-palm-strip-club-ultra-thursday (last visited
Jul. 19, 2019).
11

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 28 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 28

problem solve and have more meaningful social relationships. This demonstrates that
while Mr. Sayoc is still mentally ill and struggling, he is redeemable and able to
change. It also shows that he is individually deterred and, to the extent it is possible,
the public will be generally deterred by any sentence the Court chooses. See 18 U.S.C.
§ 3553(a)(2)(B). 12 Given these factors, a variance is appropriate to account for his
mental health problems, as well as the influence steroids had on his decision to
commit this crime.
C. The Court should consider Mr. Sayoc’s age as a reason to impose
a substantially below-Guidelines sentence.
Mr. Sayoc is 57 years old. The current life expectancy for men is around 76.5
years. See Kenneth D. Kochanek et al., Ctr. for Disease Control, U.S. Life Tables,
2014, Nat’l Vital Statistics Rep., Jun. 30, 2016, at 8. 13 Thus, even if the Court does
not explicitly sentence Mr. Sayoc to life, a sentence of 20 years or more will likely
mean that he will never again step outside of prison. Also, while no one can know
with any certainty how long Mr. Sayoc will live, “we do know that, as a statistical
matter, the life expectancy of an incarcerated person drops significantly for each year
of incarceration,” and that is before accounting for Mr. Sayoc’s socioeconomic status,
mental health, and steroid use. United States v. Jenkins, 854 F.3d 181, 186 n.2 (2d
Cir. 2017) (citing Evelyn J. Patterson, The Dose–Response of Time Served in Prison
on Mortality: New York State, 1989–2003, 103 Am. J. of Pub. Health 523, 526 (2013));
see also Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Dep’t of Justice, The Impact of an Aging
Inmate Population on the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1–2 (May 2015) (“OIG Aging
Inmate Report”) (“Several studies . . . state that an inmate’s physiological age

As to general deterrence, evidence-based studies strongly support the conclusion
that it is the certainty of being prosecuted rather than the severity of punishment
that deters crime. See Nat’l Inst. of Justice, Five Things about Deterrence, Jun. 6,
2016 (available at nij.gov/five-things/pages/deterrence.aspx (last visited Jul. 22,
2019)). The fact that Mr. Sayoc was caught so quickly by the FBI and then swiftly
prosecuted, jailed, and punished will provide sufficient general deterrence. In
addition, a sentence of at least a decade in prison is a significant and meaningful
prison term that should have sufficient deterrent effect.
12

Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_04.pdf (last visited
Jul. 18, 2019).
13

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 29 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 29

averages 10–15 years older than his or her chronological age.”). 14 Mr. Sayoc’s crimes
are serious. But they are not so serious that he should be condemned to die in prison.
As we are increasingly recognizing as a society, it is unnecessary and
inhumane to keep the elderly in prison. The elderly pose less of a danger to society
than other individuals. Even if people have previously committed crimes, and even if
they have committed crimes into middle age, their likelihood of committing another
crime continues to decrease as they get older. See, e.g., U.S.S.C., Measuring
Recidivism: The Criminal History Computation of the Federal Sentencing
Guidelines, 12 & Exhibit 9 (May 2004) (“Recidivism rates decline relatively
consistently as age increases. . . . [O]ffenders over age 50 have a recidivism rate of 9.5
percent.”); OIG Aging Inmate Report at iii, 38–40 (noting “the rate of recidivism of
aging inmates is significantly lower” and discussing OIG analysis finding that
recidivism rate continued to decline such that while 19% of sampled 50–54 year olds
were re-arrested for a new crime, none over 70 were re-arrested); William Rhodes, et
al., Recidivism of Offenders on Federal Community Supervision, U.S. Dep’t of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, at 13 (Dec. 21, 2012) (finding that older offenders are
less likely to be arrested for a new offense).
Elderly inmates also suffer more in prison. The elderly are prone to abuse and
predation in prison; they need more frequent medical care; they often require special
physical accommodations that may not be available, as their mobility, vision, hearing,
and other vital functions diminish; and they often experience greater emotional
distress behind bars. See, e.g., OIG Aging Inmate Report at ii (“[a]ging inmates often
require assistance with activities of daily living, . . . [h]owever, institution staff is not
responsible for ensuring inmates can accomplish these activities”; “aging inmates
experience delays receiving medical care”; “BOP programs . . . do not address the
needs of aging inmates”). It is also costly to incarcerate the elderly due to increased
medical needs. OIG Aging Inmate Report at i.
Courts have long recognized age as a reason for imposing a reduced prison
sentence in individual cases. See, e.g., United States v. Sanchez, No. 99 Cr. 338, 2007
WL 60517, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 8, 2007) (Sweet, J.) (collecting cases imposing reduced
sentences based on age, both because of declining recidivism rates and due to the
need to further rehabilitation by giving defendants hope of life beyond prison); United
States v. Alberto William Vilar, No. 05 Cr. 621 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 5, 2010) (Sullivan, J.)
Available at https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2015/e1505.pdf (last visited Jul 18,
2019).
14

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 30 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 30

(imposing substantially below-Guidelines sentence, largely based on defendant’s
advanced age of 69); United States v. Barbato, No. 00 Cr. 1028, 2002 WL 31556376,
at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 15, 2002) (Kram, J.) (departing from Guidelines based on
defendant’s physical condition and advanced age).
By now, even the Sentencing Commission and Congress have come to recognize
that there are compelling reasons not to keep the elderly in prison. After many years,
the Sentencing Commission reversed course in 2010 and recognized that age could be
a basis for a Guidelines departure. See U.S.S.G. § 5H1.1, Amendment 739 (effective
November 1, 2010) (stating that age may be a reason to depart downward where a
defendant is “elderly and infirm” and home confinement might be “equally efficient
as and less costly than incarceration”). More recently, in the First Step Act, Congress
moved to permit the release of previously sentenced elderly prisoners on a case-bycase basis. Pursuant to modifications made by this Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c) now
permits compassionate release for a broadened group of offenders aged 65 and older.
These decisions of courts, the Sentencing Commission, and Congress reflect a
consensus that there is often less need to hold elderly people in prison. With a tenyear sentence, Mr. Sayoc will be well into his 60s before he is released to community
supervision. Considering his history, his prior successes on probation, some of the
unique causes of this offense, and his supportive family, there is every reason to think
that he can be safely returned to society. He is not one of the few people whose crimes
are so heinous, or who has proved so unmanageable and dangerous in the community,
that he needs to spend the rest of his life in prison.
II.

The nature and circumstances of the offenses support a belowGuidelines sentence.
A. The devices Mr. Sayoc sent were not functional as bombs and
his offenses did not cause any actual physical injury.

None of the packages that Mr. Sayoc sent exploded or physically injured
anyone. And because of the way that these items were designed and put together,
they were not functional bombs and there is no real likelihood that they would have
exploded. As the ESi report explains, the items that Mr. Sayoc sent could not actually
function as explosive devices and were, “at best, each a crude counterfeit of an
explosive device.” Ex. AA at 9–10; id. at 7. Moreover, although the packages contained
powder that meets the legal definition of “explosives,” the chance that the powder
inside would somehow have ignited appears remote.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 31 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 31

An improvised explosive device such as a pipe bomb needs several components
to work: (i) an intact, gas-tight container; (ii) a reactant chemical mixture; and (iii)
some initiating mechanism. See id. at 7. While they looked like pipe bombs, Mr.
Sayoc’s devices did not actually have any of these three functional components.
First, there was no gas-tight container. Mr. Sayoc used PVC pipe with end caps
pushed on, but not glued or otherwise sealed. This was not a gas-tight container, and
if the substance inside the pipe had somehow ignited, it would not have built up
pressure sufficient to cause the pipe to explode; rather, it would have pushed the end
caps off. See id. at 7, 9.
Second, there was no initiating mechanism. Id. The clock taped to the front of
the pipe was not set or attached to anything in a way that it could ignite the powder.
In addition, although there was a solder wire inside the pipe (something that looked
like a metal coil), this was also non-functional. That wire was not capable of heating
up to the point that it could ignite the powder inside the pipe. Id. The FBI also
acknowledges this deficiency with the devices, as discussed below.
Third, the pipe does not appear to have been filled with a reactant mixture
sufficient to cause an explosion. As ESi explains, the “powder contained in each device
was variable”—a mixture of fuel and “inert” materials—and was “not confirmed to be
thermally energetic.” Id. at 6, 7. “An inhomogeneous mixture of large grain size with
the presence of inert materials, such as that documented in the powders from the
recovered devices, all decrease or eliminate the efficacy of the mixture.” Id. at 8. In
other words, the powder mixture in the devices was in all likelihood insufficiently
reactive and flammable to cause an explosion.
ESi’s expert conclusions regarding the inability of these devices to function as
actual bombs are supported by the facts of this case, the FBI’s field testing of the
devices, and even the government’s own expert report. In its analysis of these devices,
the FBI expert report acknowledges that, “As submitted, the devices would not have
functioned as a result of their design.” ECF No. 37 at 24. In particular, the FBI
recognizes that the “fuzing system for each IED lacked the proper components and
assembly to enable it to function as a method of initiation for these devices.” Id. In
plain English, the clock, wires, and solder coil could not set off the devices. Moreover,
in field testing by government agents using a laser and “burn test,” the mix of powder
in the pipe did not ignite, see Ex. AA at 4—in other words, it is not clear that the
powder inside would have ignited even if there had been a functional fuzing system.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 32 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 32

This conclusion is supported by the fact that none of the devices did explode or ignite,
even after they were subjected to render safe procedures in the field.
We expect the government will argue that, even though the packages Mr. Sayoc
sent could not function as bombs, he nonetheless intended for them to work as such
and therefore he should be sentenced more severely. But these packages were not
actual bombs and there are several reasons the Court should recognize that Mr. Sayoc
did not intend to make or send real bombs. First, the functional deficiencies of the
devices are overwhelming and plainly intentional. Perhaps the best example of this
is the fact that the clock was not set and instead retained the factory sticker
simulating a display. Second, the devices were clearly intended to be viewed intact—
that is why Mr. Sayoc included the small envelope and the pictures with red “X”s. If
he thought these packages would explode, why would he include a threatening picture
that would be destroyed in the explosion? Third, the packages were deposited in
mailboxes and Mr. Sayoc did not deliver them directly to anyone. As a result, Mr.
Sayoc could have no way of knowing exactly when the packages would be delivered;
it could be days or even weeks after he put them in the mail. Why would anyone try
to send an actual bomb on a timer through the mail? Mr. Sayoc’s actions are
consistent with someone sending a threatening message, not someone who intended
these packages to function as actual bombs or to physically harm a specific person.
B. A sentence of 121 months would be in line with sentences
imposed on similarly-situated defendants and would not create
unwarranted sentencing disparities.
The Court must consider similarly situated defendants to avoid unwarranted
sentencing disparities. 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(6). A review of recent and similar cases
demonstrates that Mr. Sayoc’s conduct does not warrant more than 121 months in
prison.
There are no perfect analogies to Mr. Sayoc’s case. The nature and seriousness
of Mr. Sayoc’s conduct warrants a substantial sentence of imprisonment. But there
are also important mitigating circumstances here: (i) these threatening packages
were not intended to function as actual bombs and none of them did; (ii) no one was
physically injured by Mr. Sayoc’s conduct; (iii) Mr. Sayoc does not have a history of
actual violence against others and has not served prior extended prison terms; (iv)
Mr. Sayoc’s conduct was at least partially attributable to mental health problems;
and (v) he has pled guilty and expressed remorse for his actions.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 33 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 33

When mitigating factors such as these considerations are present, courts have
imposed prison sentences around ten years or less, even where a defendant’s conduct
is seriously threatening; even where the offense involves the use or threatened use of
explosive materials or toxins; and even where the offenses are connected to some
political motivation, involve threats against public officials, or have otherwise
engendered widespread public concern. Below is a compendium of recent cases that
share key characteristics with Mr. Sayoc’s case and information about the total prison
sentence that each defendant received.
i. Defendants sentenced for threatening mailings involving
explosive devices or toxins
•

In United States v. Ronald Haddad, Jr., No. 09 Cr. 115 (VMK) (N.D. Ill. 2015), the
defendant went to trial on 30 felony counts, based on allegations that he sent
numerous threatening communications to prominent individuals, including
former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Compl. 3–4, ECF No. 1. The defendant sent
packages containing powder, an oily substance, and shotgun shells that appeared
rigged to explode (none did explode). Def. Sent’g Mem. 5–6, ECF No. 406. After his
conviction at trial, he was sentenced to 150 months. ECF No. 462.

•

In United States v. Hong Minh Truong, No. 14 Cr. 314 (SAF) (N.D. Tex. 2015), the
67-year old defendant perpetrated an anthrax hoax, over a five-year period, by
mailing hundreds of threatening letters with white powder to targets across the
United States, including schools, news organizations, and others. Man Sentenced
to Serve 60 Months in Federal Prison for Mailing More Than 400 Hoax White
Powder Letters, FBI (Dec. 18, 2015). 15 The government estimated that the scare
caused millions of dollars in damages. Id. He was sentenced to 60 months. Id.

•

In United States v. Kao Xiong, 18 Cr. 235 (TLN) (E.D. Ca. 2019), the defendant
sent over 150 threatening letters, some of which threatened the use of pipe bombs
or contained a white powdery substance simulating anthrax. Compl. 4–5, ECF No.
1. The threatening letters were directed to former President Bush, President
Trump, the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, and the Mall of America, among others. Id.
6–8. The defendant was found to be seriously mentally ill and psychotic when he
sent the letters. Def. Sent’g Mem. 1–2, ECF No. 51. He was sentenced to time
served of approximately five months. Id.

Available
at
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/dallas/news/pressreleases/rowlett-man-sentenced-to-serve-60-months-in-federal-prison-for-mailingmore-than-400-hoax-white-powder-letters (last visited Jul. 10, 2019).
15

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 34 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 34

•

In United States v. Jay Stuart DeVaughn, No. 10 Cr. 132 (JLK) (D. Colo. 2011),
the defendant sent threatening letters to President Obama and other federal and
state politicians, in mailings that included a white powder simulating anthrax.
Def. Mem. Op. at 1–2, ECF No. 41. The judge characterized the defendant’s actions
as a coordinated campaign of harassment which spanned many years, but also
recognized that he suffered from mental illness and abused prescription
medication. Id. at 3, 11–14. On a total of three cases (each charging multiple
counts), he was sentenced to 72 months. Id. at 16–17.

•

In United States v. Roland Prejean, No. 10 Cr. 206 (WWE) (D. Conn. 2013), the
defendant sent numerous threatening letters to public officials, including specific
threats to kill them, shoot them from a distance, use toxins against them, or to
detonate a bomb that he had planted. Def Sent’g Mem. 1, ECF No. 81. Some of his
mailings contained a white powder purporting to be anthrax. Id. at 8. He
maintained a “kill list” and continued to send threatening letters after his arrest.
Id. at 14. The defendant had severe, untreated mental health problems. Id. at 29.
He was sentenced to 70 months. ECF No. 83.

•

In United States v. Linda Louise Culkin, No. 12 Cr. 10080 (GAO) (D. Mass. 2014),
the defendant transmitted bomb threats, anthrax threats, and other death threats
to people in the United States and abroad, over the course of two years. Gov’t
Sent’g Mem. 1–2, ECF No. 115. One of the defendant’s hoax bomb threats caused
police in a foreign city to evacuate a building and close off a neighborhood for hours
while one of her hoax anthrax threats included a letter that, when opened,
expelled white powder, causing nearby people to be quarantined. Id. at 3–4. She
was sentenced to 51 months. ECF No. 139.

•

In United States v. Rodney Cydrus, No. 17 Cr. 27 (MRB) (S.D. Ohio 2018), the
defendant sent letters with violent threats directed against the FBI, federal
defenders, judges, and other federal employees. Def Sent’g Mem. 1, ECF No. 29.
Some letters contained a white powder, which led to a quarantine of the people
who opened them. Id. at 4. He was sentenced to 36 months. ECF No. 37.

•

In United States v. Kyle Dore, No. 16 Cr. 24 (DEW) (W.D. La. 2017), ECF No. 25,
the defendant sent a series of threatening letters to government officials.
Superseding Indictment 1–3, ECF No. 25. In four letters, he included a white
powder designed to simulate a toxin. Id. at 4–6. He was sentenced to 33 months.
ECF No. 75.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 35 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 35

•

In United States v. Clifton Lamar Dodd, No. 10 Cr. 156 (AKK) (N.D. Ala. 2011),
the defendant sent letters laced with white powder to government officials. Compl.
2–4, ECF No. 1. According to the government, the defendant caused emotional
injury to the victims and disrupted government functions as those who opened the
letters spent hours fearing that they had been exposed to a deadly toxin. Gov’t
Sent’g Mem. 6–8, ECF No. 45. He was sentenced to 51 months. ECF No. 48.

•

In United States v. Daniel Frisiello, No. 18 Cr. 10314 (NMG) (D. Mass. 2019), the
defendant sent 13 threatening letters, over a three-year period, to various public
figures. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 1–2, ECF No. 45. In two letters, he sent white powder
to relatives of Donald Trump to push Trump to drop out of the presidential race.
Id. The defendant was autistic and cognitively impaired, and he did not seem to
understand the seriousness of his actions. Def. Sent’g Mem. 1, ECF No. 46. He
was sentenced to probation. ECF No. 50.
ii. Defendants sentenced for possession or use of explosive
devices and toxins

•

In United States v. Paul M. Rosenfeld, No. 19 Cr. 69 (S.D.N.Y. 2019) (Roman, J.),
the defendant constructed and possessed a 200-pound bomb in his home and
planned to detonate it on the National Mall on Election Day, in order to bring
attention to the political philosophy of “sortition.” Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 2–5, ECF No.
26. Mental illness contributed to his commission of the offense and no one was
injured by his conduct. Id. at 6. He was sentenced to 16 months. ECF No. 29.

•

In United States v. Richard Laugel, No. 18 Cr. 443 (S.D.N.Y. 2018) (Engelmayer,
J.), the defendant constructed, planted, and remotely detonated a pipe bomb on
his neighbor’s car in the Bronx. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 3, ECF No. 22. The neighbor
was not injured. Id. A search of the defendant’s home uncovered ammunition,
home-made pistols, other guns, a bump stock, and silencers. Id. at 3–4. The
defendant, a former Marine, had severe psychological issues. Def. Sent’g Mem. 3–
5, ECF No. 21. He was sentenced to 121 months. ECF No. 25.

•

In United States v. Theodore Shulman, No. 11 Cr. 264 (S.D.N.Y. 2012) (Crotty,
J.), the defendant, a pro-choice activist, made violent threats against pro-life
advocates. Manhattan Man Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Illegally

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 36 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 36

Threatening Pro-Life Advocates, FBI (May 10, 2012). 16 When he was arrested, he
had cyanide and castor beans. Id. He was sentenced to 41 months. ECF No. 22.
•

In United States v. John Roos, No. 16 Cr. 203 (MC) (D. Or. 2017), the defendant
made violent threats against President Obama and FBI agents. Gov’t Sent’g Mem.
1–3, ECF No. 38. When the government searched his home and car, they found an
assault rifle, other guns, and four pipe bombs. Id. at 5. He was sentenced to 63
months. ECF No. 45.

•

In United States v. Christopher Bandy, No. 09 Cr. 20298 (VAR) (E.D. Mich. 2010),
the defendant detonated several pipe bombs in homes, destroying property and
causing significant fear in the community, but not physical injury. Gov’t Sent’g
Mem. 1–3, ECF No. 21. He was sentenced to 105 months. ECF No. 24.

•

In United States v. Francis Grady, No. 12 Cr. 77 (WCG) (E.D. Wis. 2012), the
defendant used a homemade incendiary device to start a fire at a Planned
Parenthood clinic. Am. Compl. 1–3, ECF No. 2. No one was injured, but there was
some property damage. Sent’g Mem. 7–8, ECF No. 78. Following conviction at
trial, he was sentenced to 132 months. ECF No. 81.

•

In United States v. Michael Turney, No. 08 Cr. 1493 (SRB) (D. Ariz. 2010), the
defendant possessed 26 illegal pipe bombs in his home, along with handguns,
silencers, and ammunition. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 1–2, ECF No. 381. Police found
notes indicating that he was planning an attack on a local union hall. Id. 2–3. He
was sentenced to 120 months. ECF No. 406.

•

In United States v. Stephen Powers, No. 18 Cr. 37 (AWA) (E.D. Va. 2019), ECF
No. 37, the defendant detonated a homemade explosive device on a commercial
strip in Colonial Williamsburg and had additional bomb materials in his home.
Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 1–3, ECF No. 37. No one was injured, though there was
extensive property damage. Id. He was sentenced to 120 months. ECF No. 40.

•

In United States v. Robert J. Shubert, Jr., No. 13 Cr. 50 (MTT) (M.D. Ga. 2013),
the defendant built and possessed more than 80 pipe bombs that he reportedly
intended to sell to foreign nationals. He was sentenced to 78 months. ECF No. 36.

Available
at
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/
2012/manhattan-man-pleads-guilty-in-manhattan-federal-court-to-illegallythreatening-pro-life-advocates (last visited Jul. 20, 2019).
16

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 37 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 37

•

In United States v. Collin McKenzie-Gude, No. 08 Cr. 518 (PJM) (D. Md. 2012),
the defendant was involved in a plot to assassinate Barack Obama and amassed
weapons and materials to build pipe bombs. Compl. 1–3, ECF No. 1. A search of
his home revealed numerous firearms, bomb components (including pipes, timers,
and reactive chemicals), and a diagram of an explosive device. Id. He was
sentenced to 61 months. ECF No. 85.

•

In United States v. Michael Christopher Estes, No. 17 Cr. 142 (MOC) (W.D. N.C.
2018), the defendant planted an improvised explosive device near the baggage
claim area of the Ashville Regional Airport. Compl. 3, ECF No. 1. It did not explode
and the defendant reportedly did not intend to hurt anyone, but rather to help
teach law enforcement. Id. at 7–8. He was sentenced to 46 months. ECF No. 32.

•

In United States v. Michael Sibley, No. 15 Cr. 339 (AT) (N.D. Ga. 2016), the
defendant placed two pipe bombs in a park. Compl. 3, ECF No. 1. They did not
function because they lacked a power source, but they were loaded with shrapnel
and explosives. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 2, ECF No. 32. No one was injured. Id. The
defendant said his goal was to make people aware of the threat of terrorism. Id.
at 3. He was sentenced to 24 months. ECF No. 35.

•

In United States v. Jeffery Harbin, No. 11 Cr. 163 (NVW) (D. Ariz. 2011), the
defendant, a one-time member of a white supremacist group, created grenadestyle explosive devices that he reportedly intended to use to “protect” the border
from immigrants. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 5–6, ECF No. 44. No one was physically
injured by his conduct Id. at 6. He was sentenced to 24 months. ECF No. 49.

•

In United States v. Donny Eugene Mower, No. 11 Cr. 308 (LJO) (E.D. Cal. 2011),
the defendant vandalized a mosque and later started a fire at a Planned
Parenthood by using a Molotov cocktail. Compl. 1–2, ECF No. 1. No one was hurt,
though there was extensive property damage. Id. at 2. He was sentenced to 60
months. ECF No. 26.
iii. Defendants sentenced for threats against public officials and
for politically motivated threats

•

In United States v. Lawrence Mulqueen, No. 13 Cr. 157 (S.D.N.Y. 2013) (Karas,
J.), the defendant made threats against several New York politicians and
supporters of President Obama. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 3–4, ECF No. 6. He also used
Facebook to urge his social media followers to commit violence. Id. At his home,

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 38 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 38

law enforcement found two rifles, ammunition, and bayonets. Id. at 4. He was
sentenced to 15 months. ECF No. 7.
•

In United States v. Harold Turner, No. 09 Cr. 650 (DEW) (E.D.N.Y. 2010), the
defendant, a right-wing radio host, threatened violence against two federal judges
based on one of their rulings regarding the Second Amendment and posted
personal information about the judges and the court’s security for his followers.
Sent’g Mem. 1–2, ECF No. 119. After conviction at trial, he was sentenced to 33
months. ECF No. 122.

•

In United States v. Vincent McCrudden, No. 11 Cr. 61 (DRH) (E.D.N.Y. 2011), the
defendant threatened to kill and harassed dozens of financial regulators over a
period of several years. Gov. Sent’g Mem. 108, ECF No. 94. He was sentenced to
28 months. ECF No. 96.

•

In United States v. Edgar Maddison Welch, No. 16 Cr. 232 (KBJ) (D.D.C. 2017),
the so-called “Pizzagate” case, the defendant carried an assault rifle, pistol, and
shotgun, and fired while inside a crowded D.C.-area restaurant, because he had
come to believe stories from right-wing internet sources that Hillary Clinton was
using the restaurant to run a child sex-trafficking ring. Gov’t Sent’g Mem. 2–3,
ECF No. 37. He was sentenced to 48 months. ECF No. 38.

In each case, sentencing is necessarily highly individualized. But these prior
cases demonstrate that a sentence of around ten years in prison for Mr. Sayoc would
not be out of line with prison sentences imposed in cases that share certain important
characteristics.
Conclusion
Mr. Sayoc is deeply sorry for his crimes and has taken responsibility for them
by pleading guilty. He did so with the understanding that he will be spending at least
the next ten years in prison and that he will not be released until he is at least 65
years old. No significant additional prison time beyond those ten years is necessary
to meet the goals of sentencing. Mr. Sayoc is a broken man who committed these
offenses in the throes of a steroid-induced psychosis. He has no history of similarly
violent conduct. He recognizes that his actions were irrational and wrong. Dr. Pope
opines that with proper supervision, the odds “would be very remote that [Mr. Sayoc]
would ever commit a crime of comparable magnitude.” Ex. A at 10. And although Mr.
Sayoc’s crimes here were serious and scared many, none were physically injured.

 Case 1:18-cr-00820-JSR Document 38 Filed 07/22/19 Page 39 of 39
The Honorable Jed S. Rakoff
United States v. Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 18 Cr 820 (JSR)

Page 39

According to both the FBI and ESi reports, it is unlikely that anyone would have been
physically injured due to the design of the devices. Finally, even after any prison
term, the Court can continue to monitor Mr. Sayoc on supervised release, with
rigorous conditions including drug testing and mental health treatment. Given all of
the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), we respectfully urge the Court to sentence Mr.
Sayoc to a total of 121 months in prison, followed by a substantial period of
community supervision.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/
Sarah Baumgartel
Amy Gallicchio
Ian Marcus Amelkin
Assistant Federal Defenders
52 Duane Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 417-8772
cc:

Emil Bove, Jane Kim, Samuel Adelsberg, and Jason Richman, Esqs.
United States Attorney’s Office, SDNY