A Massachusetts man was handed a 9-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to repeatedly throwing banana peels into the property of his Haitian neighbors and also possessing over 70 guns.
According to The Associated Press, the number of guns that were found in Robert Ivarson’s home was more than what he was allowed to legally possess. Prosecutors also accused him of racially harassing his Haitian neighbors.
In a statement last Thursday, District Attorney Marian Ryan said Ivarson’s conviction came after he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment, a criminal civil rights violation, and over 100 weapons charges.
Besides being barred from contacting his victims, the court also ordered the 55-year-old to undergo a mental health evaluation and any suggested treatment. Authorities said they arrested the convicted man in 2016 after his Haitian neighbors filed a report with regard to repeatedly discovering banana peels on their property. The victims told authorities they found the banana peels between 30 to 40 times over many months. Before his eventual arrest, police also sighted him throwing banana peels.
Authorities found the weapons in Ivarson’s home after they conducted a search on his property in January and October 2017. The district attorney said the weapons included handguns, assault rifles, an Uzi, large-capacity magazines and over ten thousand ammunition rounds, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors also said Ivarson was barred from being in possession of weapons because of initial criminal convictions. Confederate, KKK and Nazi materials were also found in his home.
“Mr. Ivarson targeted his neighbors because of their race,” Ryan said. “His repeated throwing of banana peels into their driveway was terrorizing and caused them to feel unsafe in their own home.”
