Culture & Society

NJ gym owner who defied mandatory lockdown sentenced; support crashes hearing server

January 29, 2022 | | Print Article

The New Jersey gym owner who defied lockdown mandates from the start of the pandemic was sentenced to one year of probation this week – essentially for the obviously heinous crime of promoting health in the midst of a virus wave.

“Thanks to all who joined in on our sentencing hearing,” Atilis Gym owner Ian Smith posted on Twitter. “So many came that the server crashed.”

“We got one year probation for the crime of taking our doors off to prevent government goons from locking us out of our gym,” he continued. “@theatilisgym is open and will remain open at any cost.”

Smith and co-owner Frank Trumbetti were arrested in late July 2020 and by the end of the year, the South Jersey facility faced a whopping $1.2 million in fines due to the owners’ defiance of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s restrictions that he called, “a complete tragedy.”

Smith explained that the state’s seizure of his assets was unconstitutional and essentially denied him the right to pay for his own counsel.

“My partner and I checked the bank statement in the morning… The state took every dollar that we have… The money in our bank account does not come from memberships… This is donations and t-shirt sales… It is a clear and blatant violation of our constitutional laws to defend ourselves,” he told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson last January.

“We’re going to continue to fight this no matter what,” he said.

Smith expressed outrage at the pandemic policies that forced many people and small businesses to become reliant on big government.

“What’s happening to the middle class and small businesses in America is nothing short of a complete tragedy,” he said. “I would go so far as to call it criminal. You are putting people out of business for good.”

“You are making them reliant on big government. You are taking away their civil liberties under the guise of pretending like you care about public health,” Smith explained.


In March 2021, Smith announced a new deal to advertise the facility – free membership to anyone who turned down the jab. The unique promotion meant to promote health through exercise, a good diet, and “an environment to destress” was inspired by Krispy Kreme’s antithetical bribe to entice people to get the experimental shot in exchange for a sugary donut.

From the looks of it, Smith has many supporters across the nation, calling him a “shining beacon in the gloom of liberal oppression.”

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