Arrested Gothamist Commenter Faces Up To 7 Years In Prison

Worst death threat EVER.

NYPD detectives trying to track down the Gothamist commenter who called for a "well-placed round of 7.62 ammo to [Ray Kelly's] thick skull" didn't have to search too hard: they just went straight to Central Casting, where the alleged troll was found residing with his dear mother. Richard Strauss, 49, was arraigned yesterday after being arrested for making death threats against the NYPD Commissioner in this post. He had been found in his mother's East Flatbush home, presumably cloistered in a well-furnished basement under a pile of empty pizza boxes.

Strauss—who had also commented, "Come get me Kelly if you have the balls and I don't mean the ones you suck on"—faces up to seven years in prison for making a "terroristic" threat and harassment. Investigators executed a search warrant on his home and seized his computer. At press time, it was unclear if officials seized his collection of Xena: Warrior Princess DVDs. Strauss was released yesterday on $10,000 bail and an order of protection was issued, preventing him from getting near or contacting the police commissioner, the Daily News website reports.

At his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, his attorney insisted, "He had no intent to make any harm. It was merely a post in a blog. Nothing more." Merely a post in a blog?! Does this ambulance chaser have any idea how much art and inspiration and soul goes into a well-crafted blog comment? Little masterpieces like "stupid hipsters lolz" don't write themselves! Worst attorney EVER. Clearly, Strauss needs to take a meeting with Lionel Hutz.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on February 23, 2012 9:40 AM

Comments [rss]

David Torchiano

Im going to be pissed if my tax dollars go to putting this guy in prison for a comment. WTF!

Revengebunny

way to support your commenters gothamist.

valentina

i find this "unusual occurrence" to be an insulting double standard to the highest degree. if kelly was an everyday citizen, this matter would not have been taken as seriously as it was, and not been investigated to the degree it was, with the veracity, efficiency and tenacity it was. i know someone who was told on a public forum that her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend had a target on her back, and for her sake it was hoped she did not end up dead somewhere. the police did nothing, and said they have no way pf proving who it was who wrote what was written

valentina

strauss can try hiring joe tacopina, one of the best CD attorneys around. but if this guy was living with his mother, then i doubt he can afford tacopina. and tacopina is also very pro-cop, having been retained by many an nypd cop

valentina

then again, joe is very anti-kelly

castellammare

agreed.

valentina

just wondering if the individual threatened was not who he was, would the "guilty" poster have received the charges that he did, much less been arrested at all?????

but on the other hand, if one has never been a member of the nypd, and witnessed and experienced first-hand how ray kelly has destroyed the nypd and the morale of the cops, as well as destroying the lives of many a cop and treating cops like low-class garbage, then one has absolutely no right or invitation to be complaining about or threatening ray kelly

growing up i had a very tumultuous relationship with my mother. i complained to my friends all of the time about my mother. but yet if any person dared to ever speak out against her, i took on a defensive stance. i can say it because i was there. you cannot because you were not there and you do not fully understand. you do not have that right

Jax

This is every commenters wet dream. Someone actually taking notice of their half intellegent dribble in real life? Its like winning the troll lottery.
Present company excluded.

hr_bookreviews

Ooh, I want to see a picture of this guy! $50 says he looks better than robingee.

nayerr

I hope Ray Kelly slips on a pile horse shit. And furthermore I hope a ....OH SHIT THE COPS JUST BROKE DOWN MY DOOR!!!!!

Thank You.

MarkSimeone

I remember the day when just saying something, didn't make it so. I guess when people tell me they're going to kill me or break my face, I can take it really seriously and just have them arrested, pizza boxes and all! Watch yourself on our board here...I'll have you arrested, even thrown in Guantanamo Bay if you're not nice to me and don't like my words or opinions.

Eazy E

Lovely. I love it when these liberal scumbags get theirs. Typical liberal too, living with his mom. Loser. Typical Obama voter.

Ragingsemi

Shit! I think I "liked" that comment...will they arrest me also?

Kelley Eidem

You are toast. Buh-bye.

Opus the Poet

I see worse threats than that made against people that ride bicycles every day over at the Post, and this is the first time I have ever seen anything done against a comment to a news article. SO, the only time anything gets done about terroristic threats is if a vague one is made against a public official?

valentina

TOTALLY AGREE AND MY POINT AND FEELING EXACTLY. I THINK HIS (KELLY'S) PUBLIC SECURITY TEAM MUST HAVE HAD THEIR EYES ON THIS GUY FROM SOME TIME. IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, OUR FRIEND ALSO USED TO POST ON THE NYPD RANT, AND ITS AFFILIATES

weissadam

stories like these really make me wish they still made episodes of law and order...

zombiebob

Hey, if he had some Chinese foot fetish porn on his PC, you never know, could become an SVU epi!

LICnative

An angry, middle aged, blogger living with mom? The guy is a walking stereotype.

Making specific threats against another while alluding to gun violence against that individual is bad enough. To know he ACTUALLY has been involved in past gun violence SHOULD be enough to have someone knock on your door.

SwagNYC

Lovely how this blog beats the anti-NYPD drum loudly every single day, and then not only throws their supporters to the wolves, they take it as a chance to laugh at them too. Really cute guys. What next? working with the FBI on their next home-made terrorist to justify billions getting flushed down the toilet known as the DHS? yeah... thanks for nothing, just another wanna-be FOX. Unsubscribing from your "lookit wut the NYPD done now" newsletter.
Bye.
PS. have fun with FOX's lawyers and their copyright (looks at ripped off simpsons picture)