A Millis, Massachusetts, man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and blow up a synagogue.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that John Reardon, 59, is charged with one count of using an interstate commerce facility to threaten or harm a person or place with an explosive device. did.
“The allegations here about a series of threats made by Mr. Reardon against the Jewish community are deeply disturbing and raise the profile of anti-Semitism across our country and right here in Massachusetts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This reflects a growing trend.” “The numbers don’t lie. Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents are skyrocketing. We work every day with our federal, state, and local partners to identify those who allegedly engaged in these hateful acts. We will continue to track.”
According to the complaint, Reardon called Congregation Agudas Achim, a synagogue in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on January 25, 2024, and left a voicemail with several anti-Semitic comments.
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John Reardon, of Millis, Massachusetts, is accused of calling Jewish houses of worship and threatening to kill Jews and blow up synagogues. (Attleboro Police Department, via Fox 25)
“You know that supporting genocide means you’re OK with people committing genocide against you,” Reardon said. “When you support the murder of innocent young children, you mean it’s okay to kill your own children.”
According to the Justice Department, Reardon said, “From the river to the sea,” “People are going to use your logic against you, you idiot,” and “Guess what? We’re going to use your logic…” “What if?” he reportedly said. “If you can kill Palestinians, we can kill you.” “If you can bomb their fucking places of worship, we can bomb your houses of worship, and if you can kill their If we can kill our children, we can kill your children.” “It’s genocide.” “You have to stop this fucking genocide.” “I support the Jews.” But that’s not the case anymore. In fact, I think we should kill you all,” and “It’s a bad day, so don’t be surprised if there’s pig’s blood at your feet tomorrow. .”
antisemitism exposed
On June 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice holds a press conference in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
After leaving a message with Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another synagogue in the area and a local Jewish organization, the Justice Department alleges.
Reardon was arrested by local police shortly after the report was made.
“John Reardon is accused of using his words as a weapon and leaving threatening messages to intimidate members of Agudas Achim,” said Special Agent Jody Cohen of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. . “No one should fear becoming the victim of physical violence at the hands of an angry stranger. The FBI does not and will not police ideology, but we do not police any threats to life. We take it seriously, and anyone thinking of making it happen should.”
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If convicted, Reardon could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. He could also be fined up to $250,000.
