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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced Monday to three years and seven months in federal prison for making a series of threats toward a woman while referencing a desire to shoot at synagogues and "exterminate" Jewish people and Asian Americans.
Andre Lackner, 35, of Northridge, pleaded guilty in January in downtown Los Angeles to one count of stalking, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to court documents, from June 2021 to October 2022, Lackner sent a series of abusive text messages to the victim. In the messages, Lackner made a series of antisemitic remarks, including, "Hitler was right about you people," "I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this Earth," "Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?" and "I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this Earth."
Lackner also texted the woman multiple racist statements against Asian Americans, including "We need to start more Asian hate and wipe" Asian people "off the planet too," court papers show.
The text messages Lackner sent to the victim placed her in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury to herself or one of her immediate family members, according to court documents.
Lackner has been in federal custody since December 2022.
"My office will remain steadfast in standing up to hate and working to unite our community," Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, said in a statement when Lackner pleaded guilty. "We must hold accountable those like this defendant who make vile, anti-Semitic, and racist threats that put victims in fear for their lives. I applaud law enforcement for acting decisively to intervene and protect the victim."
The name of the victim was not released.