#Federal prosecutors unsealed a grand jury #indictment Tues accusing a FL man of a #HateCrime for repeatedly threatening to kill members of an American Muslim org….
The indictment charges Michael Shapiro, 72, of West Palm Beach, w/3 counts of transmitting #threats & said the #crimes were motivated by #hate because he targeted victims due to the religion & national origin of people who work or are helped by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. If convicted, he faces up to 10 yrs in #prison on each count.
…The case unsealed Tues is the third time he has been charged in the last 5 years w/federal #crimes & has been accused of threatening US #CapitolPolice officers, a member of #Congress & their child, acc/to federal court records….
The case is the latest amid an increasing threat of #DomesticTerrorism, particularly by people accused of holding anti-government & racially or ethnically motivated, #violent#extremist views, acc/to a US Govt Accountability Office report last year.
The number of open #FBI investigations has more than quadrupled since 2013.
…“Today’s charges should serve as a warning that those who threaten #violence, especially when they intend to instill fear on an entire community, will be identified, investigated, & aggressively prosecuted,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement.
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