The man accused of making death threats against Boston Globe employees let his love for President Trump be known just moments after he was released on bail.
“America was saved when Donald J. Trump was elected,” said Robert Darrell Chain as he was leaving court Thursday, according to a tweet by David Douglas of NBC News.
Chain, 68, made his first court appearance in Los Angeles after being arrested at his home earlier in the day.
He is accused of making more than a dozen phone threats over the past month — including one where he called Globe employees “the enemy of the people” and threatened death — after the paper ran opinion pieces on President Trump and freedom of the press.
The Encino, Calif., man is facing up to five years behind bars and a fine of $250,000. He is expected to be flown to Boston at a later date for his official arraignment in U.S. District Court.
In federal court in Los Angeles, Chain was ordered to release any and all guns in his possession on Thursday before being released on $50,000 bond. Authorities uncovered at least 20 firearms — all in “plain view” — while searching his home.
Chain’s public defender, Andre Townsend, claimed in court that his client was not a flight risk and had committed no prior crimes. U.S. Attorney Matt Rosenbaum, however, argued that because of his “very specific threats” he posed a “serious risk of danger to the community.”
Magistrate Judge Paul Abrams chose to let Chain go, under the condition that he cough up $50,000 if he violates the terms of his release. This includes surrendering his passport, staying away from Globe staffers and not coming within 500 feet of the newsroom.
This report previously appeared at NYPost.com.
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