A Florida man has been charged after he allegedly threatened to kill members of a Muslim American organization in Michigan, CBS News reports.
Michael Shapiro, 72, of West Palm Beach, allegedly made the threats in three separate calls to the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He has been charged with three counts of transmitting threats to interstate commerce.
According to The Detroit News, Shapiro has a history of making threats. This is the third time he has been charged in the last five years with federal crimes.
“This threat against us is just one in a series of threats that have taken place across America and Michigan since the war on Gaza has escalated,” CAIR-Michigan Director Dawud Walid told The Detroit News on Tuesday.
According to CBS News, Shapiro left one voicemail to the CAIR-Michigan office in Canton on December 8, 2023.
“I’m going to kill you bastards. I’m going to kill you bastards,” he said per CBS News in the message.
On December 14, he left another message saying, “I’m going to kill you, m****r f*****g bastards. Muslims! I’m going to kill you, m****r f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
He left the third message on December 15: “You’re a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? M***** f******. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you, m****r f*****s!”
CAIR says this is just one example of the increased threats of violence the organization has been facing over the past few months.
If Shapiro is convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count.
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