Man sentenced to probation for making phone threats
He harassed those involved in a lawsuit against him
MEDINA – A man who made threatening phone calls to those involved in a lawsuit against his business was sentenced to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service Jan. 9.
Thomas Manfreda, of Akron, along with two other former owners of the former 69 Taps locations in Medina and Wadsworth, was sued by three female bartenders in 2013 and 2014 all asking for back wages as they illegally only received tips in compensation. The cases were later transferred to federal court. Two of the cases are still pending, with a third settled in favor of the plaintiffs.
In November and December 2014, Manfreda made a series of threatening phone calls against three women, including the attorney representing all three of the plaintiffs in the wages case and two of the plaintiffs. Other prank-style phone calls were reportedly made, but only the calls making death threats were part of the indictment.
Manfreda was arrested in June 2015 after an investigation and was charged and later pleaded guilty to five counts of retaliation and one count of intimidation, all third-degree felonies.
During the Jan. 9 hearing, Manfreda explained to Common Pleas Judge Christopher Collier how he made the threats, adding he bought inexpensive “burner” cell phones with cash. Late in the evening, he would make a call and when the woman answered, he would play a movie clip with threatening dialogue from films such as “There Will be Blood.”
During the hearing, the attorney victim said Manfreda should go to prison because of how afraid he made her feel. She added she has been threatened before while in her previous jobs as a court magistrate and with Job and Family Services, but they did not compare to what Manfreda did.
“I’ve been threatened, but nobody had made me as afraid as this man,” she said. “This man terrorized me, my family and my clients. I believe he’ll do it again.”
Before dismissing Manfreda, Collier said if Manfreda violated any terms of his probation, he would give him three years in prison.
“These people deserve to be free of you,” Collier said.
In 2014, 69 Taps and Manfreda were also sued in federal court for copyright infringement by music licensing organization Broadcast Music, Inc. after the Medina location allegedly had a band perform 10 cover songs without paying for licensing. The owners were ordered to pay $25,000, $2,500 for each song, along with other costs and attorney fees, in a 2015 ruling.
Thomas Manfreda, of Akron, along with two other former owners of the former 69 Taps locations in Medina and Wadsworth, was sued by three female bartenders in 2013 and 2014 all asking for back wages as they illegally only received tips in compensation. The cases were later transferred to federal court. Two of the cases are still pending, with a third settled in favor of the plaintiffs.
In November and December 2014, Manfreda made a series of threatening phone calls against three women, including the attorney representing all three of the plaintiffs in the wages case and two of the plaintiffs. Other prank-style phone calls were reportedly made, but only the calls making death threats were part of the indictment.
Manfreda was arrested in June 2015 after an investigation and was charged and later pleaded guilty to five counts of retaliation and one count of intimidation, all third-degree felonies.
During the Jan. 9 hearing, Manfreda explained to Common Pleas Judge Christopher Collier how he made the threats, adding he bought inexpensive “burner” cell phones with cash. Late in the evening, he would make a call and when the woman answered, he would play a movie clip with threatening dialogue from films such as “There Will be Blood.”
During the hearing, the attorney victim said Manfreda should go to prison because of how afraid he made her feel. She added she has been threatened before while in her previous jobs as a court magistrate and with Job and Family Services, but they did not compare to what Manfreda did.
“I’ve been threatened, but nobody had made me as afraid as this man,” she said. “This man terrorized me, my family and my clients. I believe he’ll do it again.”
Before dismissing Manfreda, Collier said if Manfreda violated any terms of his probation, he would give him three years in prison.
“These people deserve to be free of you,” Collier said.
In 2014, 69 Taps and Manfreda were also sued in federal court for copyright infringement by music licensing organization Broadcast Music, Inc. after the Medina location allegedly had a band perform 10 cover songs without paying for licensing. The owners were ordered to pay $25,000, $2,500 for each song, along with other costs and attorney fees, in a 2015 ruling.
