A Navy sailor has been sent to jail and dishonorably discharged after he advocated for violence against his fellow Navy officers while praising the rioters who stormed the Capitol building on January 6th.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that James Hart, a petty officer 3rd class formerly assigned to the San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser Lake Erie, used his social media accounts to post what investigators describe as "extremist" views.
These social media posts led to an NCIS and San Diego FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, which led agents to also discover a loaded handgun, several rounds of ammunition, and "multiple stolen gas masks."
"Petty Officer Hart betrayed his oath to the Navy and deserves to be held fully accountable for his hateful and criminal actions," Joshua Flowers, an NCIS agent, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "This conviction should serve as a warning that NCIS, the FBI, and our partners will fully investigate any and all criminal threats advocating violence against the Department of the Navy."
Hart is set to serve a 23-month prison sentence for his actions.
