A Florida man was arrested Friday and charged in connection with mailing more than a dozen bomb-like devices to prominent Democrats. Cesar Altieri Sayoc,…
A Florida man was arrested Friday and charged in connection with mailing more than a dozen bomb-like devices to prominent Democrats.
Cesar Altieri Sayoc, 56, a registered Republican from South Florida, was identified by law enforcement authorities as being responsible for mailing bomb-like devices to Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as other top Democrats, according to an FBI complaint released Friday afternoon.
As part of the investigation, Sayoc’s white van was impounded. The van’s windows were covered with pro-Donald Trump and anti-Democrat decals and stickers, including images of crosshairs on the faces of Hilary Clinton, filmmaker Michael Moore, CNN corespondent Van Jones and others.
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Sayoc’s van also had a sticker logo of American Top Team on it. Dan Lambert, founder of the MMA gym based in Coconut Creek, Fla., denied Sayoc having official ties to his stable of fighters and coaches.
“Nobody knows him,” Lambert told ESPN.com. “I called around. Not in the membership database either.”
American Top Team is one of the most prominent MMA gyms in the country and home to some of the sport’s biggest names, including UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk and former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington. The gym’s logo depicts the silhouette of a victorious fighter holding his arms up, with the American flag as the backdrop.
Sayoc has been charged with five federal counts, including interstate transport of explosives, and faces a maximum of 48 years in prison if convicted.
