Man who sent pipe bombs to Obama and Soros is convicted

Cesar Sayoc suspected of sending politicians – including Hungarian politician György Soros and Obama – pipe bombs, plead guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years supervised release afterwards. He reportedly cried and apologised as the judge announced the verdict.

On Monday, Cesar Sayoc was given a 20-year sentence in New York. He faced 65 counts of felony charges and a penalty up to life in prison. US District Judge Jed Rakoff deemed that Sayoc, 57, consciously chose to build bombs that were unable to actually detonate, reports CNN.

Sayoc sent 16 bombs to 13 victims in the weeks leading up to the mid-term elections. Judge Rakoff said: “He hated his victims, he wished them no good, but he was not so lost as to wish them dead, at least not by his own hand.”

His targets included former President Barack Obama, his Vice President Joe Biden, former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, to CNN offices in New York and Atlanta, as well as György Soros, Hungarian politician, and more.

None of his bombs ever went off or harmed anyone.

He was arrested in October in South Florida and held without bail ever since. During his hearing, he apologised, saying: “I am beyond so very sorry for what I did. Now that I am a sober man, I know I was a very sick man. I should have listened to my mother, the love of my life. She told me to get help.” He blamed his actions on mental illnesses, such as PTSD from being sexually assaulted as a student, but he still took full responsibility. “I am so very sorry to all the victims… I will be apologising to them for the rest of my life.”