Anchorage man ordered to learn about Holocaust as part of sentence for federal weapons violations

An Anchorage man was required to learn about the Holocaust and read about overcoming extremist beliefs as part of his sentence in federal court for illegally owning a machine gun and silencers.

Investigators and prosecutors had expressed concern that Michael Graves, now 21, could have potentially used the weapons in his possession to commit a mass shooting because of a number of tweets he posted that featured violent rhetoric aimed at minority groups.

Graves was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison, time that he has already served since his arrest. He will be on supervised release for the next three years. As part of a plea agreement, Graves also read specific books and took classes during his incarceration that were aimed at moving him away from extremist viewpoints.

Graves, who spoke at Wednesday’s hearing, said he’s a better person because of the educational experience.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2020/10/21/anchorage-man-ordered-to-learn-about-holocaust-as-part-of-sentence-for-federal-weapons-violations/
(Anchorage Daily News)