A judge denied early release for a Bayport man convicted of mailing threatening letters to LGBTQ+ affiliated individuals.

Robert Fehring, 75, was sentenced in August 2022 to 30 months in prison. He originally faced up to 60 months in prison, but the judge said she reduced the sentence to 30 months after taking his age and health into account.

Fehring had argued that he had a heart attack in February while in prison and was not receiving the proper care he needed from the Bureau of Prisons. His attorney said it would be a death sentence if he stayed in prison.

Prosecutors said many inmates have heart attacks and that it is not a get out of jail free card.

Five of Fehring’s victims made impact statements begging the judge to keep him in prison for the full 30-month sentence because he robbed them of their sense of safety and left them fearful for their lives. One of them was Eileen Tyzner, of Sayville, who told the judge she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of Fehring's stalking and violent letters over a four-year period.

"I'm still in prison. I'm imprisoned by what this man did to me and my family and to the other victims. So he should have to feel that imprisonment himself for the full term," Tyzner said.