Feds not charging Matthews in mosque incident (rolled pig's head through the door)

Lewiston Sun-Journal ^ | 1-27-07 | staff

[atomic conspiracy]

LEWISTON - No federal charges will be lodged against the city man who rolled a pig's head into a local mosque last year.

"We're not going forward with our prosecution," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Halsey Frank said Friday.

Brent Matthews, 33, said the frozen head slipped from his hands one night last summer and rolled through the open door of the Lisbon Street storefront that serves as a mosque for members of the Somali community. He was later arrested and charged with the misdemeanor of defacement and desecration of a place of worship.

The Maine Attorney General's Office was successful in getting the court to issue an injunction against Matthews under the Maine Civil Rights Act, ordering him to stay away from the mosque. If he were to violate that injunction, he could face up to a year in jail.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation conferred with local police about the incident, investigating the possibility of charging Matthews with a federal hate crime.

But Matthews' attorney, James Howaniec said Thursday he was assured his client would not face federal charges.

[atomic conspiracy]

Terrorists: The other white meat.

Just what federal Hate Crime is the dhimmi reporter inviting us to infer might be involved? Ethnic pork-tossing? Defiance of a media meme? Islamo-vandalism?

[Darkwolf377]

Brent Matthews, 33, said the frozen head slipped from his hands one night last summer and rolled through the open door of the Lisbon Street storefront that serves as a mosque for members of the Somali community.

I don't even care about this "incident," but that has got to be the lamest excuse ever. Just admit you were making a statement or something--are we to believe he was just walking down the street with a pig's head (like always?) and it just HAPPENED to leap from his hand and roll through the open door of a mosque?

[Anti-Bubba182]

Chris Matthews?

[NavVet]

What do you get when you cross a pig and a Jihadist?

Nothing, there are some things a pig just won't do.

[DB]

Pretty bold excuse...

[Earthdweller]

Thanks..I needed a laugh! That was good!

[Roccus]

That's his story and he's stickin' to it!

[Darkwolf377]

The door jumped in front of the rolling pig head...

[F.J. Mitchell]

Attempted bowling down of muslim pin heads, using a frozen pigs head for a ball?

Is that a crime?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

What was the guy doing with a frozen pig's head, anyway? It does seem (at first glance) that he did have intent to incite anger among the Muslim community in which he lives. He just happened to have a pig's head in his hands, and it just happened to roll through a door (how big was the door?), that just happened to be the entrance into a building which served as a mosque? (rhetorical, except for the door question). If that was the case, then this is merely being petty and stoking the flames even more. What does it accomplish constructively? (rhetorical).

[Shimmer128]

I was thinking the same thing! "Oh yeah, that always happens every time i am carrying a frozen pig's head, Ack! i hate it when that happens!"

[Earthdweller]

"What does it accomplish constructively?"

It's a harmless way of saying "we are here and we are watching, so don't try anything funny".

On the other hand....this guy would have done better to have joined the FBI. LOL.

[Shimmer128]

I think this guy has a future with CAIR, he sure can come up with a whopper, and say it with a straight face.
Still laughing.

[tickmeister]

I can't get too excited about this "hate crime'. If he had thrown a Muslim's head into a hog pen they would have something to gripe about.

[Recovering Hermit]

What was the guy doing with a frozen pig's head, anyway?

They're really good baked with a brown sugar glaze.

[Roccus]

Why do I get the feeling that the words "Hold mah beer" preceded this event?

[Arrowhead1952]

Now why would anyone want to desecrate a pig's head? The meat makes great tamales.

[Old_Mil]

What was the guy doing with a frozen pig's head, anyway? It does seem (at first glance) that he did have intent to incite anger among the Muslim community in which he lives.

I think the logic behind it is the same logic that tells you to wear garlic around your neck if you live amongst vampires. :)

[Little Bill]

It was Maine, you can ever predict what a Mainiac will do except vote against their own self interest.