An attorney for Guangtian Ha, assistant professor of religion at Haverford College, who is accused of threatening and stalking a Jewish Israeli colleague and the latter’s family, argued that Ha shouldn’t be detained because he is a practicing Muslim.
As a practicing Muslim, the 24-year-old is therefore not “a danger to anyone,” his lawyer argued.
A Chinese native who lives in Pennsylvania as a U.S. lawful permanent resident, he faces a federal count of cyberstalking and up to five years in prison if convicted, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.
FBI agents arrested him on Oct. 6, and he was ordered held in federal custody pending trial on Tuesday, after prosecutors alleged that he told his wife that they should leave the country.
Defense attorney Susan Lin sought Ha’s release with monitoring, citing her client’s lack of a criminal record. “The allegations describe entirely virtual contact with no physical contact,” she said.
In her opposition to pretrial detention, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Lin said that Ha’s family “has been Muslim for generations, and he practices Islam.”
Ha “attends weekly Friday prayers with an Islamic religious group in the Philadelphia area,” and he doesn’t own a gun, she said.
Ha is accused of sending at least 54 threatening messages to the victim, including, “the Fuhrer is coming, rats.” On Feb. 27, he allegedly mocked the victim’s efforts to protect his home, writing that “the goyim have woken up, Jew. Run. Flee. Leave. Blurring your home on Google Map and installing a security camera next to your mailbox won’t help.”
In messages on May 10, Ha allegedly wrote, “Jump, fat Jew,” and “Eliminate the Jewish cockroaches. Exterminate the Jewish state. You will have nowhere to go. Your family has no future in the U.S. Give it another 10 years, and you shall see a true Holocaust.”
The next day, Ha sent a message that included the victim’s address and writing that “cameras won’t help you,” according to court filings.
Scott Reid, a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, initially ordered Ha detained as prosecutors prepared their detention request, according to court filings.
Prosecutors argued that Ha posed a danger to the family and could intimidate witnesses. They also said that his references to newly installed security measures indicated that he had viewed the victims’ home in person.
In a supplemental filing, prosecutors stated that a detective’s body camera recorded Ha speaking with his wife during the search of their home. An FBI linguist’s initial review indicated that Ha “admitted that he posted the messages in question,” and “he informed his wife that they may have to leave the country.”
Prosecutors said the Chinese native poses a flight risk.
Investigators also allegedly linked his phone to a new anonymous social media account created on Sept. 23. On Oct. 5, the day before Ha was arrested, the account posted, “Send your kids out to play” and named the victim, according to court documents that protect the victim’s identity.
“Send them out front of the house,” the account author posted. “Beautiful weather.”
Prosecutors argued that “evidence of renewed attacks is a direct reflection of the depth of the defendant’s hatred and obsession with Victim 1 and his family.” They provided the judge with sealed victim statements.
“Cyberstalking and online harassment are far from harmless,” stated Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI Philadelphia office. “These offenses can cause real harm for victims and their families.”
