A 76-year-old Alaska man, Panos Anastasiou, was arrested in Anchorage for allegedly sending over 465 threatening messages to the U.S. Supreme Court. The messages, sent through a public website, contained violent threats against six Justices and their families.
“We allege that the defendant made repeated, heinous threats to murder and torture Supreme Court Justices and their families to retaliate against them for decisions he disagreed with,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear. Our democracy depends on the ability of public officials to do their jobs without fearing for their lives or the safety of their families.”
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The threats reportedly escalated in January, containing violent, racist, and homophobic language, along with threats of assassination. Anastasiou faces nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count against a federal judge and up to 5 years for each count of interstate threats.
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