Mount Laurel man pleads guilty to bias intimidation after going viral for racist rant in 2021
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (CBS) -- A Mount Laurel man, who was charged with harassing and using racial slurs against his neighbors back in 2021 pled guilty to four counts of bias intimidation Tuesday.
Edward C. Matthews also pled guilty to possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. Under an agreement with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, the 47-year-old will receive an eight-year prison sentence for the offenses, which is scheduled for Dec. 8.
The charges he pled guilty to involve the mistreatment of five of Matthews' former neighbors, according to GCPO. The drug offense comes as multiple psilocin mushrooms were found during a search of his home.
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The investigation began back on July 2, 2021, after a neighbor filed a harassment complaint against Matthews with the Mount Laurel Police Department. On that same day, police responded to a call where they discovered Matthews was found using racial slurs while talking with four of his neighbors.
Upon further investigation, authorities found that this was a pattern of abuse against his neighbors. He even left a threatening note on one of their vehicles.