Trump sign arsonist loses bicycle to homeowner in civil settlement
James D. White, Jr. had previously plead guilty to two misdemeanors for the attacks, and was sentenced to 12 months probation and 80 hours community service
Crime doesn't pay; the Raleigh cyclist who set fire to his neighbor's "Trump Won" sign on two early morning rides in August 2023 has forfeited his bicycle as part of a civil settlement, according to the sign's owner.
John Kane, the now-owner of a used Salsa Warbird is promising to donate the proceeds from it's sale to the Trump campaign:
11 Months ago a radical leftist coward named James D. White, Jr. rode his bike under the cover of darkness to set my "Trump Won" sign on fire, not once, but twice.
Thanks to @Timcast and @bennyjohnson we were able to identify White as the arsonist using his Strava data.
I sued this scumbag and as part of a negotiated settlement, in addition to paying my legal expenses I got his bike.
The bike is a Salsa Warbird that retails for ~ $2,800. If anyone would like to purchase it please DM me. I will donate 100% of proceeds to the Trump campaign in honor of Jim White.Until then, the bike will be displayed as yard art beside the Trump sign for everyone's enjoyment… pic.twitter.com/h57SjeUYa7
— John Kane (@johnmkane1776) July 13, 2024
Background
James D. White, Jr. was identified and arrested after Kane shared video of the crimes on Twitter/X and offered a $1000 reward, which was supplemented by $5000 each by media personalities Tim Pool and Benny Johnson.
The reward was claimed by an anonymous individual from California, who discovered that White had publicly uploaded GPS logs to the popular fitness app Strava which corresponded to the security video shared by Kane of the attacks.
When White was confronted by the police, he confessed to the crimes and received a citation for two Class 1 misdemeanors (Injury to Real Property), with police report described him as "polite", "cooperative", and "remorseful".
White reached a plea deal in which he plead guilty to two Class 2 misdemeanors (Injury to Peronal Property), and was sentenced in April 2024 to 12 months probation, as well as 80 hours of community service. White was also ordered to avoid contact with Kane and was forbidden from coming within 500 feet of Kane's residence, where he committed the crimes.
Civil Lawsuit
Along with the criminal charges, Kane filed a civil lawsuit against White for counts including trespass, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy.
Kane has consistently maintained that Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman had undercharged White for his act of "brazen, premeditated assault on free speech", referring to her as a "regime apparatchik" for failing to charge her fellow Democrat with a more serious Class H felony, Burning of Personal Property.
In a statement released on Twitter/X today, Kane announced that the civil lawsuit had been settled, with White agreeing to forfeit his bicycle and pay Kane's legal fees.
Kane also provided the following statement to This Week in the Triangle, excoriating White and explaining his decision to pursue both criminal and civil consequences:
Jim White is a coward, much like an unmasked Antifa punk. He boldly committed arson at my home under the cover of darkness, but when confronted by the RPD detective at his residence, he reportedly cried, having nowhere to hide. We are living in an anarcho-tyranny. Until Lady Liberty's blindfold is restored, conservatives who are victimized by Marxist scumbags like Jim White must leverage civil litigation to publicly humiliate and impose financial pain.
Kane was represented in the civil suit by James R. Lawrence, III of Envisage Law.