Tampa, Florida – Three individuals from Florida entered guilty pleas today, admitting to their involvement in a conspiracy aimed at threatening and intimidating staff at various pregnancy resource centers across the state.
Targeted Attacks on Reproductive Health Facilities
Caleb Freestone, Amber Smith-Stewart, and Annarella Rivera were implicated in a string of vandalism incidents that occurred from May through July 2022. These actions targeted pro-life pregnancy help centers, facilities known for offering services and counseling opposed to abortion. The attacks were executed under the cover of darkness. The defendants, concealing their identities with masks and dark clothing, spray-painted several threatening messages on the buildings. Notable among these were phrases such as “If abortions aren’t safe then neither are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere.”
These messages were intended to instill fear among the employees of the targeted centers, according to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Clarke emphasized that violence and threats are unacceptable in the debate over reproductive rights in the United States. She affirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting those who impede access to reproductive health services, regardless of the ideological standpoint of both the perpetrators and the victims.
Legal Protections and Enforcement
U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida reiterated the federal protections extended to providers of reproductive health care and their clients. He stressed that these groups should not face unlawful intimidation or threats of harm. Handberg’s office, alongside other law enforcement agencies, is dedicated to safeguarding access to these vital health services and upholding the rights of individuals seeking or providing them.
Check also: False statements on firearm forms lead to indictment for Jacksonville resident
Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodney Crawford of the FBI Tampa Field Office also spoke on the matter, underscoring the FBI’s role in protecting citizens’ civil rights. He warned that law enforcement would not tolerate actions that threaten legal reproductive health services.
Pending Sentences and Continued Prosecution
A sentencing hearing for Freestone, Smith-Stewart, and Rivera will be set in the future, where they each could face up to 10 years in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors. Meanwhile, charges are still pending against a fourth defendant involved in the conspiracy.
The investigation was led by the FBI Tampa Field Office with support from the Miami Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacie Harris for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are responsible for prosecuting the case.
