A Tampa dentist who was arrested last year after making over 100 threats and “disturbing” messages online has now been sentenced, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a release, DOJ officials said that the man — Richard Kantwill, 61 — had sent the online threats to various public figures based on their political commentary between September 2019 and July 2020.
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Some of those threats included an email to an author, a text to a “religious persona,” and an Instagram message to a television personality, the release states. This was in addition to threats made against other public figures, such as an election official in another state just last year.
Court records show that after his arrest, Kantwill admitted to sending the threats, though he denied any intention of carrying them out, instead referring to himself as a “keyboard warrior” who was on a “verbal tirade.”
“(Kantwill) targeted any person in the public eye that he disagreed with,” a sentencing memorandum reads. “He exploited differences in religion, race, gender and sexual orientation in his targeted attacks, using language that he knew would inflict greater harm and fear in his targets than just the threat of violence alone.”
Below are a couple examples of the messages that Kantwill was accused of sending:
“You, sir, are a degenerate piece of (expletive). I read your article about The Great Donald Trump. It is so blatantly prejudiced that you don’t even attempt to be impartial, you (expletive). You are gay... I can tell. (Expletive) you. I love what Trump does and where he stays.
You ignorant (expletive) never cared about how the great ghetto (expletive) Obama and how he got rich, but your going to get a hard-on about where Trump stays. So blatantly ignorant, and liberally immoral. God bless the Great President Trump and his family. (Expletive) you and yours. Hire extra security... you’re gonna need it. I plan on (expletive) you up... just for the fun of it.”
Email to one victim
“He thg (Cable News Channel)..you degenerate pieces of (expletive)...how the (expletive) are you scumbags doing now??? You stupid (expletive)..just for fun...tell corrupt gay (News Correspondent) we are going to (expletive) kill him and his family...any devils spawn of his do not deserve to live...
The (Cable News Channel) better hire more security.....because, we Americans who love America and (Presidential Candidate) are going to kill you (expletive)...good luck living in peace. We will kidnap and kill his kids in captivity...every unkindly word he has said about (Presidential Candidate) will be another slash in his kids necks. (Expletive) YOU (Cable News Channel)!!!!
Facebook message to a major cable news channel
According to DOJ officials, Kantwill pleaded guilty in November to four counts of interstate transmission of a threat stemming from threats to three of his victims.
“Today’s guilty plea is the next step in holding Richard Kantwill accountable for his almost year-long campaign of terror, sending more than 100 violent threats to over 40 victims including various public figures and an election official,” said then-FBI Director Christopher Wray at the time. “Make no mistake, using electronic communications to threaten victims with violence is illegal, and the FBI will continue to pursue those who seek to cause fear and terror by sending such violent threats.”
In a sentencing memorandum filed on Kantwill’s behalf, his attorneys said that the dentist is a U.S. Army veteran who had served in Iraq as a combat field medic.
As a result, the memorandum claims that Kantwill suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety attacks due to his experiences in the field, ultimately turning to drugs as a coping mechanism, which led to his “Other than Honorable” discharge.
“After his discharge from the service, Dr. Kantwill immersed himself in work and alcohol to try to forget the events that he witnessed in the war rather than seeking counseling to appropriately cope with his trauma,” the memorandum reads. “His chronic pain from multiple physical conditions, combined with alcohol and marijuana use, sent him in a downward spiral of anger and depression. It was in this dark place where Dr. Kantwill began his inappropriate online behavior.”
On Wednesday, the DOJ announced that Kantwill had been sentenced to two years in prison.