​Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Rep. Chris Smith​ On Facebook

A Plainfield man jailed since July for a death threat against U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) pleaded guilty Friday in Monmouth County court.

On July 26, DeReal Finklin, 43, posted multiple threatening messages online including “Dead Man Walking” next to a picture of Congressman Smith, the Republican running to keep his seat from Democratic challenger Josh Welle. As Patch reported this summer, Finklin, who lives in Plainfield, NJ, was arrested on July 28 and charged with making terroristic threats.

Smith said this is just one of several threats he and his office have faced in recent years. Smith’s personal car tires have been slashed at least eight times, and five separate cease-and-desist orders have been issued to individuals for threatening behavior.

This past Friday, Finklin pled guilty to cyber harassment, a fourth-degree felony. He said he knowingly used his Facebook account, Israel Bey, to issue a purposefully harassing message of “Dead Man Walking” with Congressman Smith’s photograph.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed that time served — 91 days of detention — an additional term of probation, and a full mental health evaluation were sufficient, and he will serve no further jail time. He also has to maintain no contact with Rep. Smith.

Rep. Smith expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officials and said he “especially wants to thank Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni and Assistant Prosecutor Martha Nye for their tenacity and swift pursuit of justice.”

“This guilty plea in this case underscores the need to report threats including online posts to law enforcement for evaluation and possible prosecution before a situation escalates,” said Smith who represents parts of Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer counties in Congress.

“See something — including online — say something to law enforcement is advice everyone needs to follow to prevent acts of violence from happening,” Smith said. “Too often social media posts and other threats have gone unheeded prior to a commission of serious violence. The retired law enforcement officer who reported the post to me, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office that rigorously pursued the case, are to be commended for putting public safety first and lessening the possibility of violence.”

Smith noted that a lack of proper mental health care has been a significant factor in violent attacks and shootings. In September, after speaking on the phone with Finklin’s mother, Smith submitted a statement to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office requesting mental health care for the defendant.

Finklin's aunt, Gwen Jones, previously told NJ.com that "he should be in a mental health institution, not a courtroom."

Smith said in his statement to the prosecutor: “If guilt is established at trial or a plea agreement reached, I am respectfully asking that you consider a path forward that is most likely to ensure that Mr. Finklin gets the mental health care he appears to critically need.”

Related: Man Arrested After Facebook Post About Congressman Chris Smith

Watch The Very Hostile Debate Between Josh Welle And Chris Smith