Judge frees man accused of threatening Obama

[DearAbby]

CNN) - A former security guard at a New Jersey airport who was accused of making threats against the president is expected to be released from jail Thursday after a judge determined he is not a threat to himself or others, the prosecutor's office said.

John Brek, 55, of Linden, New Jersey, appeared Thursday morning before Judge Robert Gardner, who, after reviewing Brek's psychiatric evaluation, sentenced him to the 29 days he has served in jail since his arrest in October, a spokesman for the Essex County prosecutor's office told CNN.

Brek initially was charged with making terroristic threats in connection with remarks he allegedly made about President Barack Obama. He denied making any threats, and the judge ultimately accepted a plea deal under which Brek pleaded guilty to two lesser counts.

Sentencing was delayed pending the psychiatric evaluation. After looking at that evaluation, Gardner said he concluded Brek is not a threat to anyone.


The arrest came one day before Obama's scheduled appearance at a campaign rally for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Brek is a gun collector and hunter, and a search of his home and a friend's home last month turned up a total of 70 firearms registered to him, all of which are legally owned, authorities said. When he is released from jail he will be able to submit an application to the court to have the confiscated weapons returned.

At the time of his arrest, Brek worked for a private security firm at Newark Liberty International Airport. He is no longer employed by the firm, FJC Security.

His attorney, Moses Rambarran, said he plans to pursue legal means of getting Brek's job back.

"While the protection of the president of the United States is of paramount concern, the constitutional rights of American citizens cannot be violated in that very important effort," Rambarran said. "And in this case, John Brek's constitutional rights of free speech and the right to bear arms were, in fact, violated. He should have never been arrested"


Link
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/19/judge-frees-man-accused-of-threatening-obama/

[LiberalAndProud]

1. What is it he was accused of saying?

He plead guilty of two unnamed lesser counts. I wonder what those were.

[DearAbby]

2. What I found here

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newark_guard_arrested_for_prez_threat_cqDLtRSynRa631SrSn93EM


October 22, 2009

A private security guard at Newark Airport -- who kept an arsenal of 43 guns in his home -- was arrested after boasting he had cut through an airport fence so he could shoot President Obama, officials said yesterday.

John Brek, 55, also made bizarre threats to dismember Obama's body and feed the parts to animals, law-enforcement sources said. Brek was arrested Tuesday, a day before Obama flew into Newark Airport yesterday to campaign for Gov. Jon Corzine at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack.

Brek works for FJC Security Services, which has a contract with the Port Authority to screen airport workers to ensure they have proper credentials.

He is assigned to the airport's guard post J, which controls access to the tarmac.

Sources said the Secret Service would normally move Obama through that area after Air Force One landed. Vice President Joe Biden passed through the same area Monday when he arrived to campaign for Corzine in Edison.

Obama spoke yesterday at a rally at Fairleigh Dickinson and said Corzine has provided more property-tax relief than any other New Jersey governor and has reduced the size of government.

The president told New Jerseyans that Corzine is an honorable leader who deserves four more years.

Brek's arrest was triggered when he was on line at a coffee cart and told an airport employee that "he had made cuts in the fence that he could use to shoot the president," sources said.


More at link:

[DearAbby]

3. kick