After Posting Pictures Of Homeland Security Trucks On Facebook, Man Fired And Called A Terrorist

11/18/2014

By Dominic Kelly, Mon, November 17, 2014

A U.S. Navy veteran was allegedly fired from his hotel job after posting photos and video on social media showing several dozen Homeland Security vehicles in a parking garage. To make matters worse, he was also accused of being a terrorist.

According to reports, Mark Paffrath, an employee at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Chesterfield, Missouri, noticed several dozen Homeland Security vehicles parked in a garage after he was done with work, so out of curiosity, he posted some photos and a short video on Facebook.

“Why are all the cop cars here…I wonder if it has anything to do with Ferguson,” said Paffrath in his Facebook post.

The next day, Paffrath returned to work and was immediately called to his boss’s office. When he entered manager Jeff Barker’s office, Paffrath was told that he needed to remove all photos and video of the cars from Facebook, so he did so right away without issue. He finished his shift and all was normal, but the following day, John Bohnert, director of security for Drury Hotels Company, LLC, was waiting for him.

“Mark told ASN that Mr. Bohnert advised him that his Facebook posts almost cost the company a $150,000 contract with the Department of Homeland Security and because of this he was being terminated,” reported Argus News Now.

In addition to informing Paffrath that he was fired, Bohnert also reportedly said, “You're a terrorist and you have dishonorably served your country by posting the photos and video.”

When Paffrath told Bohnert that he didn’t put the location of the Homeland Security trucks with the post, the security director said that anybody could click on his name and find out where he works. By the end of their conversation, Bohnert threatened Paffrath that if he reposted the pictures and video on social media, “you will have the federal government knocking on your door and you will be incarcerated.”

Paffrath didn’t heed Bohnert’s advice, however, and decided to repost a couple of pictures. It’s not clear if the government actually came knocking, however.

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