Howell Man Sentenced After Making Threats To Jewish Community

HOWELL, NJ - A Howell resident was recently sentenced to several months in county jail in connection with online threats made at members of the Lakewood Jewish community in March, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Anthony Lodespoto, 43, was sentenced to 180 days in Ocean County Jail on Sept. 25. Prosecutors say the Howell man sent several online messages threatening to beat members of the Jewish community with a baseball bat. He originally charged with making second-degree terroristic threats amid a state of emergency.

Lodespoto sent several threatening notes via Facebook Messenger, including one message sent to the Facebook account of Gov. Phil Murphy. He was arrested at his Dutch Valley Road home in March.

The Howell resident pled guilty to bias intimidation in August. He has been lodged in Ocean County Jail since his arrest, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Earlier this year, Lakewood police said Lodespoto "made specific threats to cause harm to members of the Jewish community for not complying with the orders set forth" by the governor. His threats largely consisted of threatening to travel to Lakewood with the purpose of assaulting members of the Jewish community with a baseball bat, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

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