A man who confessed to making numerous racially motivated harassing phone calls to a Black woman employed at a church in Billings, Montana, was sentenced to 18 months in prison last week.

Joshua Leon Hiestand, 41, will be subject to one year of supervised release after he serves his prison term, U.S. attorney Jesse Laslovich announced on Oct. 20.

In June, Hiestand pleaded guilty to the charges of making the harassing calls. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters also ordered him to pay $617 in restitution.

Laslovich condemned Hiestand’s actions in a statement.

“When Hiestand, a white man, went to a Billings church looking for help, an elderly African American woman who worked there responded with kindness and assistance. In return and for nearly two years, Hiestand launched a barrage of harassing, hateful and racist calls and voicemails at her and the church. His racist conduct isn’t just abhorrent, it is illegal. We are better than this,” Laslovich said.

Source: ‘The First Message Made Me Sick’: Shameless Man Who Sought Help from Montana Church Before Making Hateful Calls Harassing Its Black Employee Sentenced