Legal Analysis on Federal Charges for Individual Posted Violent Threats Against Buffalo Stores on Social Media

August 5, 2022  |  CRIMINAL, IN THE NEWS, Uncategorized  |  Share

Just two days following the tragic mass shooting at a Tops Market in Buffalo; violent, racially charged, threats were made to several businesses in the Western New York area.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York announced that a Buffalo-area man has been arrested and charged in connection with the threats made on social media.

WGRZ 2 On Your Side aired a report, which provided details on the criminal charges the suspect faces for these social media threats. As part of their report, WGRZ’s Ron Plants spoke with attorney Barry N. Covert to provide legal analysis.

The suspect in this matter is facing federal charges for making an interstate threat. Regarding the current charges, Barry Covert commented “Because he posted tweets, and those tweets when you post them apparently travel all the way to California, where Twitter is, and then back to New York, because of that traveling of the tweets, it passes through interstate commerce, and he is facing a federal felony offense.”

Because the social media threats were made just days after a tragic mass shooting, there is a chance the suspect could face additional charges. Barry Covert stated “This could be the initial criminal complaint, and that brings him into the court system. They have to look at whether the grand jury could have enough information before it to charge hate crimes or other crimes beyond the crime that they have set forth.”  

Click here to watch WGRZ’s full report, including legal analysis from Barry Covert.


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