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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; Shawn Christy, the McAdoo man who led authorities on a three-month trek through multiple states after allegedly posting threats against the president and other officials, was denied release Friday during an appearance in federal court in Scranton.</p><p>And he apparently didn&#8217;t like the decision.</p><p>U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito ruled that federal prosecutors successfully argued he was a flight risk and a danger to society.</p><p>Afterward, Christy launched into a profanity-laced tirade, seemingly directed at local media, suggesting he&#8217;s a political prisoner.</p><p>The 27-year-old was indicted by a federal grand jury in July on four separate charges. He&#8217;s accused of making threats on Facebook against President Donald Trump, a district attorney and members of law enforcement between June 3 and June 12.</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t until Sept. 21 that he was captured in a wooded area of Mifflin Township, Ohio.</p><p>As Christy was arraigned on the charges from the indictment, he slurred responses to Saporito in an often difficult to understand accent.</p><p>When Saporito asked if Christy was capable of understanding the English language, he had the first of what was to be many outbursts.</p><p>&#8220;Yes, sir, I&#8217;m not a Mexican immigrant,&#8221; came his response.</p><p>Christy waived the full reading of his charges, saying that he pleads &#8220;Absolutely not guilty.&#8221;</p><p>Saporito said Christy&#8217;s case had been assigned to Judge Robert D. Mariani when Christy asked if it could be switched to a particular judge.</p><p>Saporito seemed taken aback by the request, saying, &#8220;No, sir, the case has already been assigned.&#8221;</p><p>Christy&#8217;s recently assigned federal public defender, Elliott Smith, requested that Christy be released from prison on bail.</p><p>Federal prosecutor Michelle Olshefski argued that a release would pose numerous dangers, noting the roughly 90 days Christy was on the lam and his alleged crimes involved an intent to commit violent acts.</p><p>Christy balked at this, shouting, &#8220;Excuse me?&#8221;</p><p>Saporito calmly told Christy there would be no outbursts in his courtroom, and repeated this refrain while Christy delved into a nearly unintelligible string of complaints about the prosecutor.</p><p><strong>&#8216;He voted for Trump&#8217;</strong></p><p>Ultimately, Saporito granted the prosecutor&#8217;s request to deny bail &#8212; although it was largely a moot point, as Christy is currently being held for lack of $100,000 bail for a robbery at a Butler Township home during his flight.</p><p>While being led out of the courtroom, Christy began shouting at the media, telling them to check for a &#8220;tape&#8221; from a 2017 charge that would prove his innocence.</p><p>Outside the courthouse, Christy&#8217;s parents, Craig and Karen Christy, explained what the tape refers to.</p><p>Christy was charged in 2017 with aggravated assault for allegedly attacking former McAdoo Mayor Stephan Holly. But the Christys maintain that surveillance footage of the area had been doctored, and it was truly Holly who attacked Christy.</p><p>When a reporter asked Christy&#8217;s parents if he was accepting responsibility, his father said it was actually the government that needed to take responsibility.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s as much Shawn taking responsibility right now, it&#8217;s time for the government to take responsibility, for the government to be able to police itself,&#8221; the elder Christy said, saying there was still no investigation into Holly&#8217;s actions.</p><p>Christy&#8217;s parents say he had no intention of acting on the threats; instead, he was merely trying to bring attention to the alleged wrongs against him. Craig Christy said his son&#8217;s alleged threats against Trump were simply intended to spotlight his issues with the former McAdoo mayor.</p><p>&#8220;He voted for Trump,&#8221; Craig Christy exclaimed with a laugh.</p><p>For now, Christy remains locked up at the Lackawanna County Correctional Facility. A date for his trial will be announced via a future order from Judge Mariani.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Karen and Craig Christy speak to the media on the steps of the Nealon Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Friday about their son Shawn Christy, who allegedly threatened the president. Mr. Christy said his son had no intention of acting on the alleged threats. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102718Christy2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Karen and Craig Christy speak to the media on the steps of the Nealon Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Friday about their son Shawn Christy, who allegedly threatened the president. Mr. Christy said his son had no intention of acting on the alleged threats. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102718Christy1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Karen and Craig Christy speak to the media on the steps of the Nealon Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Friday about the capture of their son Shawn Christy, who allegedly threatened the president and went on the run for more than three months. Christy was denied release from jail. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102718Christy1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Karen and Craig Christy speak to the media on the steps of the Nealon Federal Courthouse in Scranton on Friday about the capture of their son Shawn Christy, who allegedly threatened the president and went on the run for more than three months. Christy was denied release from jail. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Christy pleads not guilty to federal charges, is denied bail