Patrick Dai: Ex-Cornell student pleads guilty to threatening to shoot, stab, slit, bomb, rape, and kill Campus Jews
(Cornell University Library, Image credit Facebook)
Patrick Dai, 21, formerly a junior at Cornell University and originally from Pittsford, New York, pleaded guilty yesterday to posting “threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications.” “This defendant is being held accountable for vile, abhorrent, antisemitic threats of violence levied against members of the Cornell University Jewish community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“In the elevated threat environment that we have seen since Oct. 7th, we have been vigilant and stand ready to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable. Antisemitic threats of violence are unacceptable in our society, and we will not tolerate this conduct. Particularly at institutions of higher learning, people should feel safe to pursue educational opportunities.”
As part of his guilty plea, Dai admitted that, on October 28 and 29, 2023, he posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion forum, including posts that said “gonna shoot up 104 west” (a dining hall at Cornell University that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is next to the Cornell Jewish Center that provides residential accommodations for students) and “gonna bomb jewish house.” In another post, Dai threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish man he saw on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish women he saw, and to behead any Jewish babies. In that same post, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.”
“Patrick Dai used the internet to make horrific threats to kill and injure Jewish students attending Cornell University. The federal felony conviction he sustains today underscores that those who break the law by making violent threats will be found and prosecuted, even if they attempt to hide by posting anonymously,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York.
“The rapid and coordinated investigation by the FBI, New York State Police and Cornell University Police led to Dai’s identification and arrest in a matter of days, bringing relief to both his classmates and the community he terrorized by his actions. His guilty plea today means he will be held accountable for his threats against members of his own Cornell University community.”
The Associated Press reported that law enforcement officials tracked the online threats to Dai through an IP address. After his guilty plea, Dai’s lawyer said tat his client would never have followed through with his violent treats and that, “he decided during a depressed time in his life to pose online as Hamas to change the minds of people who sympathize with the organization.”
Following the release of Dai’s violent threats, Cornell heightened security on campus. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also ordered increased security on campuses throughout the state., according to UPI News.
“The threats Patrick Dai made towards the Jewish community are graphic and disturbing,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Unfortunately, the FBI continues to see antisemitic sentiments across the violent extremist ideological spectrum. We work every day to make sure no one fears for their safety while simply going about their life, practicing their religion or attending class.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 12. Dai faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution to victims and a maximum of three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more on the story, see the video below.
–
(Source: Department of Justice)
(Cover photos of Patrick Dais’ school pic and mugshot, Image credits: Twitter & Broome County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
