Overview

• Kenneth Pilon was sentenced to 10 months in prison for threatening Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts and leaving threatening notes with nooses.
• Pilon pleaded guilty to intimidating citizens exercising their right to free speech in support of Black Lives Matter.
• He made racist threats over the phone and left nooses around Michigan with notes threatening protesters.
• Though he expressed remorse for his actions, Pilon had become increasingly angry and isolated, struggling with untreated mental health issues.
• His lawyer said Pilon became consumed by news coverage of protests and civil unrest, lashing out due to pain, loneliness, and poor mental health.