Bail set for Hyannis man charged with posting school threat, firearm violation
BARNSTABLE — Justin Moreira, a Hyannis man who allegedly posted on Facebook terrorist threats to shoot up a school, was ordered to pay $100,000 cash bail or $1 million surety bond at Barnstable District Court Tuesday.
Judge Edward Lynch set the bail amount with the stipulation that Moreira wear a GPS (global positioning service) device, be confined to his home except for medical and legal appointments, and be prohibited from possessing firearms and using the internet.
Moreira, 29, was arrested Saturday and charged with making terrorist threats and possessing a firearm silencer. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.
On Tuesday, Moreira wore a black T-shirt during the one-hour bail hearing and didn't make any comments. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 27.
Barnstable Police were dispatched to a Chase Street home on May 28 after Moreira’s Facebook posting indicated that he planned to injure people at an unnamed school. Part of his post included a statement, “I hate them so much,” according to Cape and Islands Assistant District Attorney Michael Giardino.
The arrest came four days after 19 students and two teachers were fatally shot by a lone gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The incident sparked a highly charged national debate and calls for gun control reforms.
Related: Hyannis man arrested after alleged school shooting threat on Facebook
On Tuesday, Giardino cited Moreira’s conviction history. Federal charges were brought against him in 2015 for trying to buy a Walther PPK/S handgun with bitcoins from on an online market that provides anonymity for users wishing to deal in illegal goods. After he attempted to pick up the weapon at the Hyannis Post Office, Moreira was arrested and was subsequently sentenced to 42 months in federal prison.
After cross-checking with several agencies, Barnstable police found he had threatened to kill a Massachusetts woman and police officers with an AR15 in 2020, Giardino said.
Last week, police obtained a search warrant for 24 St. Francis Circle, where they were directed to Moreira's room in the basement. Moreira didn’t cooperate at first and there was a struggle before he was handcuffed and led to a police cruiser, Giardino said.
However, Moreira's lawyer, Peter Lloyd, said his client was cooperative and asked the officers, “Is this about the post about the shooting?”
Officers found a shell casing and a firearm silencer in Moreira’s bedroom. Giardino requested the court to consider Moreira’s past problems, violations and convictions.
“It’s a very serious offense,” Giardino said about the alleged terrorist threat.
Lloyd asked the court for a lesser bail, saying Moreira suffers from anxiety and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after a violent home invasion. He also has alcohol and substance abuse issues, Lloyd said.
Citing Moreira’s inability to post bail, Lloyd asked for reasonable bail and supervision guidelines.
Moriera’s threat didn’t say “kill,” it said ‘injure,” Lloyd said, and he attempted to delete the post, claiming that it was a mistake. Moreira has no monetary savings and has several pending job applications, he said.
He appears to be crying out for help, Lloyd said.
Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Bail set at $100K cash, $1 million surety for
