Florida man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to threatening to kill Jews

On November 6, Hanson Richard Larkin, 26, of DeLand, Florida, pled guilty to a felony threat charge where he knowingly and intentionally transmitted a threatening communication in interstate commerce regarding his intention to kill Jews.  Larkin has been in jail since being arrested at his place of employment in DeLand on August 26.

Reportedly, Larkin met an individual who resided in Miami-Dade County online around 2017, and over time, they became friends, communicating via text, phone, and various social media outlets. This friendship did not include any in-person interactions. On several occasions during the two years leading up to August 25, 2019, Larkin told this individual about his hatred of Jews. 

In 2019, Larkin repeatedly expressed his intent to travel to Miami to meet with this individual, even though the individual repeatedly urged him not to come because he did not want to meet with him.  On August 24, Larkin traveled from DeLand to Miami via train. On August 25 while Larkin was in Miami-Dade County, he texted the individual and said that he was at his house – despite being told not to visit. 

Larkin then sent the following series of threatening text messages designed to coerce this individual to meet with him:

“…I bought a gun with my first paycheck If I don’t meet you I will be forced to use it.”

“I told you how much I hate Jews right?”

“If meeting me for five seconds is not worth the lives of multiple Jews than I have no other option.”

“There’s a chabad near me. And Amtrak has no security for weapon. Don’t make me make a choice theyll regret.”

“Ok so then we meet and no dead Jews?” 

The recipient took these threats seriously because of Larkin’s frequent expressions of his hatred for Jews and contacted local law enforcement.  No meeting ever took place between this individual and Larkin. Larkin returned to DeLand on August 26, where he was eventually arrested. 

Larkin’s sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2020.  He’s looking at a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison.

(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida)

~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter