MIAMI, Fla. – A Florida man has been sentenced for contempt of court after he sent racial slurs and threats.
Last month, a federal judge in Miami sentenced Matthew James Choy to 40 months in prison for contempt of court after he reportedly sent racial slurs and violent threats using the court’s Case Management/ Electronic Case Files (CME/ECF) system.
This sentence follows Choy’s guilty plea to a charge of criminal contempt. Choy had previously been convicted of sending graphic, profane, and excessive threats over the internet to identifiable victims and was serving a prison term for that crime when he is said to have committed the recent offense.
According to the court record, from April 15, 2022, and continuing through November 20, 2022, Choy knowingly transmitted several handwritten pro se letters and motions, intending that they be filed on the CME/ECF system.
The handwritten pro se letters and motions reportedly contained racial slurs, profanity, and statements such as “I give up, as long as I get to see the blood spray out of [victim 1’s]neck when I get out, I’ll consider it even,” and “F— all of you!” in court numbers 21-10848 (11th Cir. 2022), and 20-20165-CR-CMA (S.D. Fla).
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO), the receipt of the filings obstructed the administration of justice by disrupting the business of and making work for the Clerk’s Office and the Court in that court staff was forced to receive, review, and act on the filings.
Choy is said to have knowingly filed the documents and letters to disrupt the proceedings.
Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga also sentenced Choy to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and imposed several special conditions, including an association restriction, restricting Choy from associating with victims and Court staff and personnel, among others.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentencing.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Lazopoulos Friedman and Brooke Watson prosecuted the case.
