Category: USDJ Hate Crimes

Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

BOSTON – A Millis, Mass. man was arrested by federal authorities today for allegedly threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship.

John Reardon, 59, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive. Reardon was arrested this morning and will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. Reardon was previously arrested by local law enforcement Jan. 25, 2024 and has remained in custody since.

“The allegations here about the series of threats Mr. Reardon made against the Jewish community are deeply disturbing and reflect the increasing torrent of antisemitism across our country and right here in Massachusetts. The numbers do not lie — incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia are spiking. We will continue to work every day with our federal, state and local partners to track down people who allegedly engage in such hateful conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

“John Reardon is accused of using his words as a weapon, leaving a threatening message to frighten members of the Congregation Agudas Achim,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “No one should have to fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. While the FBI does not and will not police ideology, we take all threats to life seriously, and so should anyone thinking about making one.”

According to the charging documents, on the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, Reardon allegedly called Congregation Agudas Achim, a synagogue in Attleboro, Mass. and left a voicemail making the following statements:

• “You do realize that by supporting genocide that means it’s ok for people to commit genocide against you;”
• “With supporting the killing of innocent little children, that means it’s OK to kill your children;”
• “From the river to the sea;” 
• “People are going to use your logic against you, you stupid f**ks;”
• “Guess what? We are going to use your logic —if you can kill the Palestinians, we can kill you;”
• “If you can bomb their f**king places of worship we can bomb yours, if you can kill their children we can kill yours;”
• “You people need to stop the f**king genocide;”
• “End the genocide, or it is time to end Israel and all the Jews;” 
• “I supported Jewish people though. Not anymore. A matter of fact I think we should kill you(s) all;” and
• “Have a lousy day and oh don’t be surprised if there’s pig blood on your steps tomorrow.”

It is further alleged that, within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue as well as a local Jewish affiliated organization. Reardon was arrested by local law enforcement after the calls were made. 

The charge of using a facility of interstate commerce to threaten a person or place with harm via an explosive provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Attleboro and Wrentham Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Bristol County District Attorney’s Office; and Bristol County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe and Torey B. Cummings of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of stalking and admitted to engaging in a 14-month campaign in which he threatened a victim and threatened to shoot synagogues and “exterminate” Jewish people and Asian Americans.

Andre Morrow Lackner, 35, of Northridge, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking.

According to court documents, from June 2021 to October 2022, Lackner sent a series of abusive text messages to the victim. In these messages, Lackner directed a series of anti-Semitic remarks to the victim, including, “Hitler was right about you people,” “I want to see every single Jew exterminated from this earth,” “Would you like to celebrate the next synagogue shooting?” and “I will make sure I kill a Jew before I leave this Earth.”

Lackner also texted the victim multiple racist statements against Asian Americans, including “We need to start more Asian hate and wipe” Asian people “off the planet too.”

The text messages Lackner sent the victim placed her in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury to herself or one of her immediate family members, according to court documents.

Lackner has been in federal custody since December 2022.

“My office will remain steadfast in standing up to hate and working to unite our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.  “We must hold accountable those like this defendant who make vile, anti-Semitic, and racist threats that put victims in fear for their lives. I applaud law enforcement for acting decisively to intervene and protect the victim.”

“The defendant’s abhorrent words and actions caused his victim to experience fear of harm and death,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI urges victims of stalking to contact law enforcement to make a report.”

United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a June 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Lackner will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The FBI investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office hosted its third “United Against Hate” outreach event on Friday, January 26, at UCLA in Westwood, where approximately 200 participants from federal, state, and local civil rights enforcement agencies joined with community leaders to work together to combat the growing problem of hate crimes and incidents.

The event featured remarks by Dolores Huerta, one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement, and United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

“As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the nation’s most populous and culturally diverse district, I am troubled by the acts and rhetoric of hate we see across the country,” U.S. Attorney Estrada said. “Hate is meant to divide us, so it is imperative that we come together as a community to reject these acts and embrace the diversity of this nation, which has always been its strength. United, we can overcome hate.”

United Against Hate is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to inform communities about hate crimes and reporting hate-related incidents. The Department launched the initiative in 2022 with the goal of building trust, opening lines of communication, and strengthening coordination between relevant partners and the community to help combat a growing number of hate and bias-related incidents since 2021.

Today’s event included a panel discussion regarding federal, state, and local initiatives to combat hate that featured leaders of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, the California Civil Rights Department, the California Commission on the State of Hate, and L.A. Civil Rights.

Participants at today’s event also received training on identifying, reporting and responding to hate crimes and hate incidents. Additionally, there were presentations by the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service and LA Civil Rights.

Following the event, UCLA hosted a reception for community and governmental leaders.

This is the third United Against Hate event hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office. The office will continue to host presentations throughout the district to help communities understand what hate crimes are, how federal agencies respond to hate crimes, and what people can do to help victims. Community organizations or leaders that wish to partner with the United States Attorney’s office to hold a United Against Hate event in their community should send their request to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov.

Anyone who feels they have been the victim of a hate crime or may have witnessed a hate crime should immediately report the crime to state or local police by dialing 911, then quickly report it to the FBI through their online portal or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). In addition, please report the incident to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division or by filing a civil rights complaint with the United States Attorney’s Office.

Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

“We can’t stand by and stand silent [in the wake of Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents]. We must, without equivocation, denounce Antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.” – President Biden

The Biden-Harris Administration is today announcing new actions and resources to address the alarming rise of reported Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents at schools and on college campuses since the October 7^th Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. These actions will help protect students, engage school and university leaders, and foster safe and supportive learning environments.

The Justice Department (DOJ) has published an updated hate crimes threat response guide from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to inform Americans about the steps they can take if they receive a threat. The guide, published on the FBI’s hate crimes resource page, has been shared with organizations and state and local law enforcement entities across the nation. 

The Department of Education (ED) is today announcing that:

• The National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, a technical assistance center funded by ED, is releasing two collections of specialized resources designed to help educators, students, parents, and community members prevent Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of discrimination – one for P-12 schools and the other for institutions of higher education.
• This week, senior ED leaders will host listening sessions with P-12 school leaders and university leaders to glean key insights from the field about how some schools are keeping students safe in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In addition, listening sessions with Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Sikh, and other students, educators, and staff are planned for the next few weeks. ED will share notable examples of ways schools and campuses can prevent and address Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
• Additionally, on December 6th, ED’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will launch a webinar series to develop, strengthen, and share evidence-informed strategies that help schools prevent and respond to hate-based threats, bullying, and harassment. The webinar series kicks off with a session on “Creating a Welcoming Environment” on Dec. 6, followed by webinars on “Full Student Participation” on Dec. 13, “Conflict Mediation” on Jan. 17, and “Ongoing Support” in February.

This week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host a webinar on best practices for countering Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred on rural college campuses. USDA is partnering with the Department of Education and Muslim and Jewish groups to host the webinar. Register here for the event, which takes place Thurs., Nov. 16, from 2-3:30 PM EST.

Additional actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia at schools and on college campuses include:

• The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) have taken the following steps to increase campus safety:
  • DHS and DOJ have disseminated public safety information to and hosted calls with campus law enforcement as part of broader outreach to state, local, tribal, and territorial officials to address the threat environment and share information about available resources. DHS has also shared relevant resources with campus partners nationwide.
  • As part of its continued outreach to campuses, DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is leveraging its 10 Regional field offices and their vast capabilities to conduct outreach and provide resources, tools, and services to K-12 and higher educational institutions to support their security requirements. On behalf of the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice, CISA continues to oversee the SchoolSafety.gov platform, which provides schools and districts with actionable recommendations to create safe and supportive environments for students and educators. The site serves as a one-stop access point for information, resources, guidance, and evidence-based practices on a range of school safety topics and threats.
  • On Oct. 30, the DOJ announced that is awarding over $38 million in grants to support the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, increase hate crimes reporting, expand victim services, and improve community awareness. This includes over $8 million in grants to community-based organizations and civil rights groups, including awards to organizations serving Jewish and Arab American communities.
  • DOJ’s Community Relations Service continues to provide support on college campuses and remains in dialogue with Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and other impacted communities on college campuses nationwide.

• ED has taken a number of steps to address prohibited forms of Antisemitic and Islamophobic discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
  • On Nov. 7, ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new Dear Colleague Letter reminding schools of their legal obligations under Title VI to provide all students, including students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, or Palestinian, a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. Secretary Cardona also has cautioned that if schools violate those obligations, ED has the authority to investigate and take action to redress violations, including by withholding federal dollars. As ED noted in the letter, the Department interprets its regulations consistent with the requirements of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, all of ED’s actions enforcing Title VI must comport with First Amendment principles, and ED’s regulations should not be interpreted to require recipients to enact or enforce codes that punish the exercise of protected free speech.
  • ED OCR also recently released an updated complaint form specifying that Title VI’s protection from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin extends to students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, or based on other shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics—making it easier for students and others who experience such discrimination to seek redress for it. ED additionally made clear that anyone who believes that a school has discriminated against a student based on race, color, or national origin may file a complaint of discrimination with ED OCR, and that the person who files the complaint need not have been the target of the alleged violation.
  • ED continues to offer technical assistance webinars to school communities as well as community organizations on these applications of Title VI. To request such a training, please contact ED OCR at OCR@ed.gov.
  • ED is sharing additional resources in this area, including a fact sheet, Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics, which was released in January 2023, and a Dear Colleague Letter issued in May 2023 as part of the Department’s launch of the Antisemitism Awareness Campaign, announced under the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. These resources are available on the Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics page of ED OCR’s website.
  • ED also continues to offer information about recently resolved complaints under Title VI, including complaints alleging discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. That information is available here.

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Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

SCRANTON – United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office held an event at the Central York High School to promote the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative.  The event, which included federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, focused on educating students on how to identify, report, and prevent hate crimes. 

In its auditorium and broadcasted to all of their classrooms, the Central York High School hosted subject matter experts from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of York, York City Human Relations, the York County District Attorney’s Office, and other local law enforcement.  Presenters highlighted differences between hate crimes versus hate incidents and provided options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes.

U.S. Attorney Karam previously hosted meetings in November 2022, in the Harrisburg area with an audience of various law enforcement agencies and community leaders from across the mid-state, March 2023, at Scranton High School for students and community leaders, and December 2023 in Harrisburg and Scranton with Jewish leaders. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to strengthen collaborative relationships of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. 

“As our country has seen increased incidents of hate since October 7, 2023, the importance of identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes continues to be a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Karam.  “As we strengthen our partnerships with state and local law enforcement and community partners, we also include our district’s high school students, our future leaders in that partnership.  By reaching out to students, we provide them the tools to prevent further hate incidents that violate the fundamental principal of democracy.”

As part of its United Against Hate programming, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner with communities across the Middle District of Pennsylvania to expand connections with those communities, further hate crimes prevention efforts, and encourage more people to report hate crimes and hate incidents.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently scheduling events at other district high schools and will soon meet with Islamic leaders. 

Those who believe they are subject to hate crimes or incidents should contact local law enforcement and the FBI.  Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov.

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