A New Jersey man whose racist rant went viral back in 2021 was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to harassing and using racial slurs against his neighbors.
Edward C. Matthews, 47, of Mount Laurel, was sentenced on Friday. He had pleaded guilty in October to four counts of bias intimidation as well as possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute.
An investigation into Matthews started on July 2, 2021, after prosecutors said a resident went to the Mount Laurel Police Department to file a harassment complaint against him.
A short time later, officers responded to a residential neighborhood for a report of a man needing to be removed from the area. Upon arrival, officers found Matthews using racial slurs while engaging in a verbal altercation with four residents, according to prosecutors.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Edward Matthews
It was revealed during the investigation that Matthews had a pattern of abuse against his neighbors, including leaving a threatening note on one of their vehicles.
Videos of Matthews had gone viral showing him harassing and using racial slurs toward his neighbors. One of the videos showed Matthews repeatedly calling a Black man a “monkey” and a “n****r” while bumping his chest and appearing to spit in his face.
Days later, massive crowds of protesters formed outside Mathews’ home for hours in response to the videos.
The drug offense was filed after psilocin mushrooms - which are known for their hallucinogenic effect - were discovered during a search of Matthews' home, according to officials.
In addition to harassment and using racial slurs, Matthews was also accused of stalking and damaging his neighbors’ vehicles and smearing feces on their windows.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
