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Reason
Reason
Politics
Eugene Volokh

Guilty Plea for Death Threats to Synagogue Related to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

From a press release by the federal prosecutor's office in Massachusetts, released Nov. 25 but just posted on Westlaw:

A Millis, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb Jewish synagogues….

On the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, Reardon called a synagogue in Attleboro, Mass. and left a voicemail that included threats of violence.

Within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue in Sharon, Mass. and left a voicemail that included threats of violence.

Reardon was arrested by law enforcement after the calls were made. Following his arrest, investigators learned that Reardon had called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times between Oct. 7, 2023 and Jan. 29, 2024. In many of those calls, Reardon made harassing and intimidating statements.

The guilty plea is to three counts, which cover threats to the two synagogues and acting "with the intent to harass and intimidate" and cause substantial emotional distress to Israeli Consulate employees. The press release doesn't discuss the details of plaintiff's threats of violence, but here is what an FBI agent's affidavit in support of the criminal complaint says as to the statements to Synagogue 1:

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