Man twice dodges prosecution after threatening Fox News anchors

A New York City man has gone free twice after making violent online threats toward Fox News personalities due to a lenient agreement with federal prosecutors.

Jeffrey Rodriguez faced six counts, including cyberstalking and threatening interstate communications, according to the New York Post, but a federal prosecutor agreed not to pursue charges should he abstain from posting about the media figures for a year and attend mental health counseling.

Rodriguez reportedly sent hundreds of threats to the unnamed Fox personalities in which he said he would kill them and some of their family members, according to the complaint against him that the Post obtained. He also posted residential information about them online. The complaint does not identify the victims.

"Lmfao. If this albino only knew what I am capable of doing. I would skin a Nazi ALIVE. Don’t think I forgot. Just because you moved away from the mornings doesn’t mean I’m not going to split your top," Rodriguez allegedly posted. “I plan on doing something after I hit this one with a bottle. The audacity. LMFAO. I know where she lives and where she runs, etc."

Rodriguez subsequently violated the deferred prosecution agreement in August, tagging one of the victims in an Instagram post. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser declined to terminate the agreement and pursue charges, per the outlet. Instead, she merely asked Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses to reprimand Rodriguez.

Moses complied with the request, though she expressed some bewilderment at the leniency, saying to Rodriguez, "You've been lucky thus far." Referring to Smyser, Moses added, "I couldn’t stop her."

“You will not get another chance,” she added. Rodriguez claimed to have been off necessary medication at the time he made the posts but has since resumed taking it. The judge, however, ordered Rodriguez to be subject to random breathalyzer tests until the end of his time under the agreement.