A 64-year-old Mora, Minn., man has been put on probation for sending threatening emails to a White Bear Lake church music director after getting angry with political banter between members of a Beatles cover band during a September church concert.
John Allan Sandeen Jr. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
John Allan Sandeen Jr. was sentenced Friday in Ramsey County District Court after pleading guilty to felony threats. As part of a plea agreement, he was given 87 days in jail, which he already had served, and three years of probation. A stalking charge was dismissed.
Sandeen still faces four counts of felony threats in Hennepin County for emails he allegedly sent to a Maple Grove church music director who was one of the band members. Sandeen was jailed in that case Monday on a warrant and was being held on $200,000 bail before an initial court hearing Tuesday afternoon.
According to the charges, Sandeen attended the Sept. 7 concert at White Bear Lake Methodist Church by the Beatles Ensemble, which played songs by the Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
At some point during the concert, two band members engaged in “stage banter” between songs:
“When ‘The Fool on the Hill’ was released, we all thought the song was a reference to President Nixon, but it turns out to have been a reference to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom the Beatles had met in 1967,” one said.
The other replied, “Interesting. I did not know that. But also, President Nixon was working with the FBI in an attempt to have John Lennon deported.”
“I’m sure glad they don’t do that anymore,” the first band member said.
The other then said, “Let’s hear it for ICE!”
‘Your people killed my friend’
Five days later, on Sept. 12, Sandeen sent an email to the White Bear Lake church music director, writing, “We don’t need (the band member’s) opinions.”
He also wrote, “Charlie Kirk was a friend of mine” and told him he “better have (expletive) eyeballs on his back.”
Sandeen emailed the band member the same day and referenced his comment about ICE, saying, “you think that ICE is evil” and that his “cohorts have killed” Kirk.
Other emails Sandeen sent that same day and the next — 16 writings in all — included that the music director “better (expletive) hide” and that he was going to “break your (expletive) fingers,” and also do physical harm to the band member, according to the complaint.
Related Articles
Former Blaine child care worker pleads guilty in abuse case
Own a Hyundai or Kia? Here’s what you need to know about anti-theft settlement
Minneapolis man is third convicted in Coon Rapids triple murder
‘Ringleader’ of vast real estate fraud scheme sentenced to prison
St. Paul man gets 17 years in prison for 2 rapes 12 years apart
Sandeen further mentioned the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist that federal prosecutors allege was intentionally targeted by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson at Utah Valley University.
“Your people killed my friend in front of his wife and children,” Sandeen wrote to the music director, adding that he was “going to cut your (expletive) throat.”
In an interview with investigators, Sandeen initially said he didn’t know anything about threatening emails. He then told them he was probably drunk and said some “crazy (expletive),” the complaint continued.
He said musicians are supposed to play music and not give political opinions, then complained that had he known the concert was going to be a political rally he would not have attended.
Leave a Reply