(Washington) A former leader of the American neo-Nazi group “Atomwaven Division” was sentenced on Tuesday to three years and five months in prison for participating in a campaign of intimidation against journalists and members of ethnic and religious minorities.
Arrested in February 2020 in Texas, John Denton, 27, pleaded guilty to “threats” and “insults” this summer.
He admitted to participating in a massive campaign for beating Which involved making malicious phone calls to transport US Police Emergency Response Units (SWAT) to targeted personnel.
It was carried out between October 2018 and February 2019, and targeted 134 sites, including an African American church, an Islamic center, or the home of a government member, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Justice.
John Denton himself took the police to the offices of the New York news site Propublica and to the home of one of his journalists, who accused him of revealing his identity in articles dedicated to his organization.
According to the press, he died as the journalist in question and called the police, claiming he was armed, and killed his wife. Agents intervened urgently and briefly arrested the journalist and his wife.
Four other members of the Atomoven group are currently facing federal prosecution for their threatening posters, showing Nazi symbols and Molotov cocktails, and sending them to Jewish and ethnic journalists as well as to anti-racism activists.