According to the U.S. Justice Department, a self-described White supremacist entered a guilty plea on Tuesday to making threats against the jurors and witnesses in the prosecution of a man who killed 11 members of a Pittsburgh synagogue online.
Hardy Carroll Lloyd acknowledged, as part of his plea deal in federal court for the northern district of West Virginia, that his decision to attack the jury and witnesses in Robert Bowers’ trial was motivated by their perceived or actual Jewish beliefs.
If the judge accepts the plea offer, Lloyd, 45, of Follansbee, West Virginia, may spend more than six years in jail.
According to the Justice Department, Lloyd is a self-described movement leader for White supremacy. During Bowers’ trial, according to the prosecution, Lloyd—who was detained on August 10—sent threatening social media posts, emails, and comments on websites. Lloyd admitted to impeding the proper administration of justice.
Following a jury’s decision that the death penalty should be applied, Bowers was given the death penalty last month.
“Hardy Lloyd attempted to obstruct the federal hate crimes trial of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “His guilty plea underscores that anyone who attempts to obstruct a federal trial by threatening or intimidating jurors or witnesses will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”
After Lloyd allegedly made several online threats to bring a gun onto the Texas Capitol grounds and confront any police officers who tried to “take enforcement actions” against him, the Texas Department of Public Safety offered a cash reward of up to $1,000 in May 2022 for information leading to his arrest. According to a statement from the agency, Lloyd has a criminal record.
