Elba landlord accused of hate crime admits to threatening tenant

A landlord, aged 59, from Elba, was taken to County Court on Thursday for allegedly threatening a tenant at a property on Ridge Road back in August. The landlord has been sentenced to a year of interim probation.

Michael Joseph Schad, a resident of Ridge Road in Elba, pleaded guilty to a menacing charge, which is a felony offense.

At 9:05 a.m. on August 24, when he got arrested, he faced charges of five counts of menacing in the second degree as a hate crime, along with one count of menacing in the second degree.

According to District Attorney Kevin Finnell, Schad allegedly used a derogatory racial term towards his tenant. Finnell stated that Schad was intoxicated and had what appeared to be a weapon during the confrontation, which he referred to as a “tenant dispute.”

Schad, who had no prior criminal history, also had no history of prior disputes with his tenant.

The case was prosecuted by ADA Earl Voss.

Schad has agreed to a year of interim probation in order to address his anger and substance abuse problems. After this probationary period, he will be sentenced, and if he successfully completes the probation, his jail time will be less than 364 days. However, if he is not successful, he could face up to four years in prison.

The tenant has reportedly vacated the property.

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