A Pennsylvania man who threatened online to kill President Barack Obama, calling him an “Anti-Christ” who will be “shot dead,” was sentenced on Wednesday to 12 months in prison and ordered to undergo mental health treatment.
U.S. District Judge James Munley also ordered Nicholas Savino, 42, to forfeit guns and ammunition seized from his home, including two assault weapons, 11,000 rounds of ammunition and a long-range scope, as well as a third weapon found in his car.
Besides the weapons, U.S. Secret Service agents seized literature on “How to Shoot Under Pressure” and using airplanes as weapons, according to court records.
Savino, who was credited with serving 10 months behind bars since his arrest last summer, was ordered to serve two years probation after his release.
Savino, of Clarks Summit, a suburb of Scranton, entered a plea deal in March, pleading guilty to posting a threat on the White House website. He faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An attorney for Savino, Paul Ackourey, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Savino posted the threat last August, prompting a Secret Service investigation and later a federal indictment.
In the posting, Savino also vowed to share his intentions with “militias throughout the country and the media” and a subsequent investigation revealed Savino had sent emails to militias members, according to court records.
Savino had stopped taking medication for a bipolar disorder when the threats were posted, according to court documents.
Savino, who holds a university engineering degree, had made earlier threats against Obama after the Federal Aviation Administration turned him down for a pilot’s license, court records show.
Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Steve Orlofsky
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