Disturbed Alaska Man Accused of Threatening to Murder and Torture Supreme Court Justices
An Alaska man faces federal charges after allegedly threatening to murder and torture Supreme Court justices in over 465 violent messages. š #News #AnchorageAK #Alaska #Crime
ANCHORAGE, AK – An elderly man from Anchorage, Alaska, has been arrested after allegedly bombarding the U.S. Supreme Court with hundreds of violent threats. Panos Anastasiou, 76, now faces multiple federal charges for his alleged actions, which involved sending a disturbing volume of messages aimed at the nation’s highest court.
According to federal prosecutors, Anastasiou is accused of using the Supreme Courtās official website to transmit over 465 threatening messages between March 2023 and July 2024. The messages allegedly contained horrifying threats directed at the justices, threatening not only their lives but the lives of their families.
Heinous Threats and Escalation
The severity of the threats came to light when, on January 4, 2024, prosecutors claim that Anastasiou’s messages escalated, targeting individual justices. Six out of the nine Supreme Court justices reportedly received personalized threats.
The language used in these messages was described as “violent, racist, and homophobic,” with specific references to methods of assassination, including torture, hanging, and firearms.
“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 in an official statement.
“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.”
Facing the Law
Anastasiou now faces serious legal consequences. He has been charged with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison for each count related to threats against federal judges, in addition to up to five years for each interstate threat.
As the legal process unfolds, Anastasiouās case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by threats to public officials. These threats not only jeopardize their personal safety but also threaten the core of our judicial system, where decisions should be based on the law, not fear.
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