A Massachusetts man faces up two and a half years in jail after pleading responsible to threatening to kill Jewish youngsters and bomb native synagogues over the Israel-Hamas battle.
John Reardon, 59, of Mills, pleaded responsible on Monday for leaving a horrifying, two-minute voicemail with the Congregation Agudas Achim synagogue, during which he threatened to kill youngsters and blow up the temple in January.
“This defendant’s threats to bomb synagogues and kill Jewish youngsters stoked worry within the hearts of congregants at a time when Jews are already dealing with a disturbing enhance in threats,” US Lawyer Basic Merrick Garland mentioned in an announcement.
Prosecutors mentioned Reardon’s two-minute voicemail referenced Israel’s battle in Gaza, which the attorneys mentioned was a part of a disturbing development of antisemitism throughout the nation over the battle.
“You do understand that by supporting genocide, meaning it’s OK for individuals to commit genocide towards you,” Reardon informed the synagogue on January 25.
Minutes after threatening the Attleboro-based temple, officers mentioned, Reardon referred to as one other synagogue in Sharon, the place he left a voicemail calling for the “kill of all Jews” and “stomping their infants useless into the bottom,” in response to courtroom paperwork.
After arresting Reardon on January 29, investigators realized he was behind a sequence of disturbing calls to the Israeli Consulate in Boston that started after the Oct. 7 bloodbath, which left 1,200 useless in Israel.
Officers mentioned Reardon referred to as the consulate 98 occasions following the terrorist assault, making “statements meant to harass or intimidate” the workplace, up till the day of his arrest.
Altogether, Reardon pleaded responsible to 1 rely of obstruction of free train of non secular beliefs by menace of pressure, one rely of transmitting in interstate commerce a menace to injure an individual, and one rely of stalking utilizing a facility of interstate commerce.
“John Reardon now stands convicted of inflicting terror on the larger Boston Jewish neighborhood by threatening violence towards fellow residents of Massachusetts solely due to their Jewish religion,” mentioned performing US Lawyer Joshua S. Levy.
US District Decide Julia Kobick set his sentencing for Aug. 14, with prosecutors recommending two and a half years in jail as a part of the plea deal.
Reardon’s legal professional didn’t reply to a request for remark.
With Publish wires
Supply hyperlink
