Massachusetts man pleads guilty to threatening, harassing interracial couple

BOSTON (WWLP) – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to threatening an interracial couple using social media, and tried to prevent them from reporting the threats and harassment to law enforcement.

Stephen M. DeBeradinis, 46, of Boston and Dedham, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure a person, one count of tampering with a witness and victim by intimidation, threats, and corrupt persuasion, and one count of tampering with a witness and victim by harassment, according to the Department of Justice.

In December 2020, a white woman and a black man announced they were engaged on Facebook, along with some photos of them. DeBerardinis did not know the couple, but he could see the photos because he had mutual friends with them.

Around January 6th, 2021, he used Facebook Messenger to send the couple threatening and harassing messages about their relationship. The couple reported the incident to their local police, who contacted federal law enforcement.

“This case demonstrates that you cannot cowardly hide behind a keyboard and spread bigotry, intimidation, and fear. The spike we have all witnessed in hate-motivated threats of violence will not be tolerated, and our office remains steadfast in our commitment to aggressively pursue threats and acts of hate that are motivated by racism or bigotry,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Everyone deserves to live free from persecution and threats simply for who they are. Full stop.”

“You can’t just threaten people online with racially motivated, violent physical harm and not face repercussions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Stephen DeBerardinis put this couple through is despicable. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. We will investigate, identify you, and ensure you’re held accountable for your actions.”

“This is another example of the value of bringing together the collective resources and expertise of the Boston Police Department with our State and Federal partners to keep our residents safe,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.