Man arrested for mailing fake anthrax to gay bar that kicked him out and wishing staff would ‘die of AIDS’
Nowhere, a beloved queer dive bar, was the target of a tidal wave of threatening emails and an anthrax scare in 2019. (Nowhere/Google)
New York City cops busted a Canadian man after he mailed fake anthrax to a Manhattan bar as well as threatening staff with emails stapled with vicious homophobic slurs all because he was kicked out of the bar.
“Its [sic] called Antrax [sic]. Enjoy,” read the note, allegedly penned by Ameen Keshavjee and sent December last year to the gay bar Nowhere, a creaky queer dive bar that has served east villagers for nearly two decades.
Authorities arrested the man on Monday, the New York Post reported, and while the powder contained in the envelope proved negative, it ignited a federal investigation.
Anthrax, an infection caused by a spore-based bacterium, can result, in some cases, in lung cancer, lesions and diarrhoea.
Man wished staff were aboard plane that crashed and killed all of those on-board.
Court documents detailed Keshavjee’s rutted relationship with the business, where he allegedly sent threatening emails to bar staff for months after they told him on February, 2019, that he was no longer welcome if he continued to harass staff online.
With its red lighting and lengthy happy hours, Nowhere has been a go-to dive for New Yorkers for years. (PinkNews)
The slew of slurs spanned months, documented stated, and rocketed after he was banned from the bar. He told staffers that he hoped they died of the AIDS virus so he could attend their funerals and urinate on their coffins/
“After the way you 3 three s–ts repeatedly harassed, bullied and intimidated me YOU LOW-LEVEL HUMAN garbage decided that **I** crossed a line???” one of the emails read, “DIE OF AIDS, you leftie, hypocrite, democrat-voting F–KS!!!!!!!!!”
The email, sent on February 25, ended with “I will be there to pe[e] on your individuals coffins,” and was addressed to someone identified in court papers only as “Employee-1.”
“You miserable f-g s–t,” he allegedly emailed again two days later.
“U r a coward, picking on the quietest person in the shop. I hope [employee-1’s partner(s)] gives u AIDS.
“I miss my little spot. You f–k.”
The stream of expectatives escalated when Keshavjee wrote a subsequent email wishing that staffers were aboard the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which tragically killed everyone on board when it crashed in March.
Law enforcement tracked the letter to Keshavjee after detectives found the stamp affixed to the latter was purchased with his credit card.
He was charged on Monday with mailing a threatening communication and released on a $20,000 bond.
If course convict him, Keshavjee may face deportation or handed down a five year jail sentence.
