TEMPE, Ariz. — A Tempe man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly wrote an email threatening to execute a Scottsdale rabbi.
Jeffrey Mindock, 47, is accused of sending an email on Nov. 3 to a local rabbi that threatened to execute them and "every other JEW [sic] I can find tonight at midnight of your Sabbath,” according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
The suspect had wanted the rabbi to convince a Utah judge to drop charges against Mindock in a separate case filed in that state.
Prosecutors said Mindock is accused previously sending another email that threatened to "hang" a judge.
“We have no tolerance for those who send threatening communications to Jewish faith leaders or to any other people in America," U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in a statement. "We will continue to exercise our prosecutorial discretion and deploy our resources to charge threats cases here in Arizona.”
Prosecutors will have 30 days from Mindock's arrest to seek an indictment.
Senior Rabbi Andy Green with Congregation of Tzion Congregation issued the following statement:
"I'm grateful to our government and law enforcement authorities for their efforts to keep me and our Jewish community safe. Thank you to the US Attorney's Office, the FBI, the Maricopa County Sheriff, and the police departments of Tempe, Scottsdale, and Phoenix for their response and attention to this incident.
This threat reflects the same antisemitic tropes invoked for decades in the United States - the conspiracy theory of Jewish power. In this case, it led this individual to blame me for out-of-state charges against him.
It's important to stand up to antisemitism. The value of words of kindness and support for your Jewish friends cannot be understated.
Safety and security have been and will continue to be a top priority at Congregation Or Tzion."
Out of an abundance of safety for our synagogue community, we kindly request that you do not film outside our physical building."
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