A notorious right-wing troll known for harassing people over Covid mandates and LGBTQ displays was sentenced Friday for a 2021 incident where he recorded himself entering private businesses in Mesa, Arizona, and harassing workers over their mask mandates, the Phoenix New Times reported.
Ethan Schmidt claimed that he was entering the businesses to “test their mask policy.” One of the businesses, Sunny’s Hair and Wigs, served Schmidt with a restraining order in January 2022. The next day, Schmidt called the store, which violated the order.
He pleaded guilty to interfering with judicial proceedings, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail or three years of probation, along with $2,500 in fines.
Mesa Municipal Court Judge Raymond Schumacher sentenced him to three years probation and a suspended sentence of 60 days in jail.
"Sunny’s Hair and Wigs caters largely to cancer patients who are immunocompromised, and employees testified that they’ve worn masks inside the business for no less than a decade," the Phoenix New Times said.
"Still, Schmidt-Crockett told his followers on Instagram that the store was 'discriminating against' him because he had a 'medical and religious exemption.'
In court Thursday, Schumacher asked the defendant to provide a doctor’s note saying he was exempt from wearing a mask. Schmidt-Crockett admitted he fabricated the medical exemption. He also failed to articulate in what way his religion permits defying the rules of a private business."
A video featuring Schmidt just recently went viral, showing him walking through a Target store trying to inflict damage on Pride displays. In another video, he confronts two Target store employees asking, “Do you guys support the Satanic Pride propaganda?