Mount Laurel man pleads guilty to bias intimidation after 2021 viral racist rant
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - A Mount Laurel male entered a guilty plea Tuesday in Mount Holly, New Jersey after he was charged with harassing and using racial slurs against his neighbors in July 2021.
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced Edward C. Mathews, 47, formerly of Grammercy Way has pled guilty to four counts of bias intimidation in the fourth degree and one count of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute in the second degree.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Mathews will receive an eight-year prison sentence for the offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for December 8.
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Edward Mathews, a Mount Laurel man who was seen on video hurling racial slurs at a neighbor during a tirade, appeared before a judge on Wednesday morning for the first time since being charged with over a dozen criminal charges.
Mathews’ guilty plea involved the mistreatment of five former neighbors. Authorities filed the drug offense filed after psilocin mushrooms were discovered during a search of his home.
Back in early July 2021, a resident came to the Mount Laurel Police Department to file a harassment complaint against Mathews.
Later that day, officials say a Mount Laurel police officer responded to a Coventry Way residence for a report of a male needing to be removed from the area. Upon arrival, the officer found Mathews using racial slurs while engaged in a verbal altercation with four residents.
Mount Laurel residents speak out over viral video at township meeting
Residents of Mt. Laurel are demanding answers, days after video showed a man on a racist rant directed at a neighbor. They claim the kind of harassment has been going on for years.
According to officials, the investigation then revealed a pattern of abuse from Mathews against his neighbors that included leaving a threatening note on one of their vehicles.
The investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Mount Laurel Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.