Related article:
YouTube threats target Utah trooper
By Damon C. Williams
The Philadelphia Daily News
PHILADELPHIA — Sometimes, a YouTube cameo can bring fame and fortune.
For Andre Moore, all his posted YouTube video got him was a six-to-24-month sentence of house arrest followed by probation.
That’s because in Moore’s video, he brandished a gun, with his 12-year-old son nearby, and called for the murder of 18th District Philadelphia police officers.
His video, titled “Dissin’ Philly Cops,” was posted on the popular video-sharing service June 6. Moore was subsequently fired from his job as a security guard at Albert Einstein Medical Center.
Moore, 44, of West Philadelphia, has been in custody since his arrest; the video is no longer available on YouTube.
Moore pleaded guilty yesterday to corrupting the morals of a minor, terroristic threats and harassment.
In a plea deal struck between Moore’s attorney, Amato Sanita, and Assistant District Attorney Pat Link, the Commonwealth withdrew a charge of aggravated assault.
Family Court Judge Brenda Frazier-Clemens sentenced Moore to house arrest, followed by three years probation and five years of state-sanctioned mental health supervision.
Link said that the Commonwealth is “happy with the plea.”
“We would have had a difficult time proving aggravated assault,” said Link, explaining that it would be hard to prove that Moore put any officer in danger.
“He will not be released directly to the street; we have to evaluate him and make sure he’s ready, for our safety and his,” Link said.
Sanita agreed for the most part, but added that his client feels no animosity towards the police department, but instead felt “harassed by a certain district.”
“He’s a person who has friends that are police,” Sanita said outside the courtroom. “He is truly embarrassed by this situation. We are going to make sure he gets proper treatment.”
Sanita called Moore’s $1 million bail out of line with the charges, particularly because Moore suffers from mental-health problems.
“He will be supervised for years,” Sanita said, adding that Moore will be released to his relatives after he completes his mental-health evaluation.
“I can tell you,” Sanita said, “that he’s very sorry, and he has learned his lesson.” *
Copyright 2008 The Philadelphia Daily News