A federal judge in Indiana on Tuesday convicted an Indiana man who admitted to threatening a Jewish nonprofit organization in a recent spate of anti-Semitic incidents, according to federal prosecutors.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Andrej Boliga, 67, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by two years on probation, “for knowingly transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure another person and selecting the victim because of his or her religion.” SaidBoliga's target was the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
According to a Department of Justice press release, prosecutors said that between July 9 and December 14, 2022, Boliga left eight voicemails with ADL offices in New York, Texas, Colorado and Nevada that contained anti-Semitic slurs and threats to assault or kill Jewish people.
In one voicemail sent to the ADL offices in New York City, Boliga said: “My grandfather [unintelligible] SS officer… shoots himself [sic] “I'm going to use 120 Jews for target practice… I'm going to kill more than that… You all have to die, you bastards.” Indictment The message was dated July 25, 2022 and was filed in a Southern Indiana court.
A voicemail left by Borriga at the ADL offices in Denver, Colorado on August 18, 2022, read, “You suck my dick, your Nazi dick, you motherfucker, Jewish motherfucker, and then I'm gonna slit your fucking throats,” the prosecutor further stated in court.
In other messages, Boliga mentioned beheadings and “oven parties” and called Jews “filthy animals,” according to the indictment. (Related article: 'All Jews must die': Man admits to repeatedly threatening synagogues, Jewish businesses)
Indiana man pleads guilty to sending violent anti-Semitic threats to Anti-Defamation League, receives sentence
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— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) July 23, 2024
The Department of Justice has reportedly indicted and convicted more than 30 people for a variety of anti-Semitic hate crimes in recent months, with Boliga's case being the latest in a string of similar crimes since Hamas' lightning terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said Borriga's threats revealed his “hateful views,” instilled fear in recipients of the threatening voicemails and violated fundamental American social values.
“This sentence sends a clear message to hate crime perpetrators and potential perpetrators that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence against the Jewish community,” Clark added.
According to a press release, Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned hate crimes as an attempt to “divide our society and isolate communities from each other.”
“Mr. Boliga's actions were not just heinous, they were illegal,” Garland said.
