An Alaska man, aged 76, has been indicted on federal charges for sending graphic threats to injure and kill six Supreme Court justices and their family members. The accused, Panos Anastasiou, allegedly sent over 465 threatening messages through a public court website. These messages included graphic threats of assassination and torture, along with racist and homophobic rhetoric.
The indictment, filed on Wednesday, does not specify which justices Anastasiou targeted. However, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the threats were made in retaliation for decisions the accused disagreed with. Garland emphasized the importance of public officials being able to carry out their duties without fearing for their safety or the safety of their families.
According to prosecutors, the threatening messages were sent between March 2023 and mid-July 2024. Anastasiou faces a total of 22 charges, including nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce.
Anastasiou was arrested in Anchorage on Wednesday. His attorney has not yet provided a comment, and publicly listed phone numbers for Anastasiou were disconnected. If convicted, the accused could face up to 10 years in prison for each count of making threats against a federal judge and up to five years for each count of making threats in interstate commerce.
Threats against federal judges have been on the rise in recent years, with a significant increase in violent messages directed at public officials across the country. In a separate incident in 2022, a man was apprehended near the residence of Justice Brett Kavanaugh with weapons and zip ties shortly after a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked.
