Montana Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Racist Phone Calls

A Montana man who repeatedly made threatening and racist phone calls to a Billings church for two years has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, ABC News reports. Joshua Leon Hiestand made the calls to the church after he went there seeking help and received a gift card from a Black employee. Hiestand allegedly first left a voicemail at the church in which he used a racially derogatory term and said he would give more money to the church if the church did not employ an African American. After three similar calls were made, the police were notified and Hiestand was told to make no further contact with the church. However, over the next 19 months, Hiestand called and left a series of voicemails at the church that were at times threatening and racially hostile.