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Ethan Schmidt-Crockett, the notorious troll who for years has targeted coronavirus mandates, Jewish people and LGBTQ+ folks around Phoenix, is in hot water — again.
Schmidt-Crockett faces new misdemeanor charges in Scottsdale, according to court records. He also said he's facing an arrest warrant in Chandler.
These developments could spell trouble for the Valley antagonist and occasional Grindr user who is just four months into a three-year probation sentence that included suspended jail time.
On June 26, prosecutors with Scottsdale City Court lodged a pair of misdemeanor charges — disorderly conduct and trespassing — against Schmidt-Crockett relating to a May 6 incident at Congregation Beth Tefillah. He's accused of causing a disturbance at the synagogue.
It's not Schmidt-Crockett's first brush with trouble in Scottsdale. In August 2021, Schmidt-Crockett was confronted by police after he harassed customers at FnB on Fifth Avenue. The farm-to-table restaurant required patrons to provide proof of a coronavirus vaccination at the time.
Schmidt-Crockett entered the restaurant with a bullhorn and told diners they were “a bunch of morons,” the Arizona Republic reported. He pleaded guilty to a criminal trespass charge in December 2021.
Schmidt-Crockett will be arraigned on the new charges on July 26.
“Scottsdale PD can kiss my ass,” Schmidt-Crockett told Phoenix New Times. “Those charges were from protesting a vaccine-only restaurant. I shouldn’t have to pay fines for doing the continued work of Martin Luther King Jr.”
"These are historical shoes," Ethan Schmidt-Crockett said. "They need to be in a museum."
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office / Sneaker Shouts
A wanted man
Schmidt-Crockett calls himself the “new founding father” and often compares himself to King and Jesus Christ, as he did in a conversation with New Times on Wednesday. He also admitted to being a wanted man.“There’s a warrant for my arrest in Chandler, FYI,” he said in a text message. He added that he didn't know any additional details.
Chandler police Sgt. Emma Huenneke declined to discuss the warrant.
The cocky contrarian is wildly popular on alternative social media websites, such as Telegram and Truth Social, where he shares his antics filmed at area locations, including a Barnes & Noble bookstore and the Church of Scientology in Phoenix.
Although Schmidt-Crockett is no stranger to being kicked out of shops and churches, he rarely faces legal repercussions. He said his antics are all in the name of activism.
“I am right about the mask, vaccine, and I’m right about the fact Pride is Satanic,” Schmidt-Crockett said.
Employees at Sunny's Hair and Wigs in Mesa described in court how Ethan Schmidt-Crockett targeted them in May 2021.
Elias Weiss
Probation violation?
Schmidt-Crockett was sentenced to three years of probation in March after he harassed employees at a Mesa wig store over its mask mandates and later violated a restraining order against him.The probation order states that Schmidt-Crockett can’t commit any new crimes or he will face a suspended jail sentence of 60 days.
But what about new charges related to an old crime? The answer remains unclear.
Even if these new charges don’t constitute a probation violation, Schmidt-Crockett has a long way to go before his disciplinary order expires in 2025 — and he doesn’t seem too keen on changing his ways.
“I’m such a criminal,” he said. “It’s like the Wild West out here in Arizona.”
