Trial delayed again for Youngstown JCC threat suspect

YOUNGSTOWN - The trial of a New Middletown man accused of making threats aimed at Youngstown’s Jewish Community Center has been delayed once again.
A federal judge on Wednesday approved a defense motion to push back the trial of James Reardon from December until March.
Reardon’s attorney cited strict precautions on jury trials put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing efforts to reach a plea deal.
U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Gaughn granted a similar delay in September.
Reardon faces charges of transmitting a threatening communication and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He has been in the Mahoning County jail since August of last year.
Reardon was arrested after allegedly posting an Instagram video in which he was seen firing a weapon with the caption "Police identified the Youngstown Jewish Family Community shooter as white nationalist Seamus O'Reardon," designed to look like a mock news headline.
A final pretrial in the case is now set for February 9, 2021, with the trial scheduled for March 9.