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Arizona man sentenced to time served in online threats case

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Posted at 10:03 PM, Apr 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-06 01:03:51-04

PHOENIX (AP) — A Chandler man who served 225 days in prison in an online threats case has been sentenced to time served.

Federal prosecutors say 30-year-old Austin Ryan Steinbart previously pleaded guilty to interstate communications with intent to extort.

In March 2020, Steinbart was accused of making threats to degrade and destroy the operations of a file storage and file sharing company through videos and posts on his YouTube channel after the company suspended his account.

Prosecutors say Steinbart directed his thousands of YouTube subscribers to flood the company's tech support line with fictitious emails and phone calls in an attempt to hinder the company's ability to operate.