A 76-year-old Alaska resident faces over 100 years in prison for allegedly threatening to torture and assassinate six Supreme Court justices.
According to Daily Mail Online, Panos Anastasiou was arrested and charged with 22 counts of making threats against federal judges and through interstate commerce.
The Justice Department reported that Anastasiou sent more than 464 messages through the Supreme Court's public website between March and July 2023. These messages allegedly contained violent, racist, and homophobic content, including threats to kill the justices through torture, hanging, and firearms.
Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the severity of the accusations, stating:
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.
The charges against Anastasiou are significant, with each count potentially carrying a substantial prison sentence. If convicted on all counts, he could face over a century behind bars.
It remains unclear which specific justices were targeted in these threats. However, the complaint suggests that Anastasiou's messages were directed at justices whose opinions he disagreed with.
Investigations into Anastasiou's background revealed limited online activity. His Facebook page, which has no friends, contains a profile photo and a 2014 post criticizing Supreme Court justices as "jack booted thugs."
In the same post, Anastasiou expressed regret over his Vietnam service, writing:
I served in Vietnam and I regret my service to the POLICE STATE we have become in large part by the rulings by the Supreme Court favoring police tactics and shredding the fourth amendment.
Federal Election Commission records indicate that Anastasiou had made donations to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, as recently as July.
This arrest comes at a time of heightened concern for the safety of Supreme Court justices. In recent years, there have been increased efforts to bolster security measures for the justices and their families.
The incident also highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in monitoring and addressing potential threats made through public channels, such as the court's website.
The case underscores the fine line between free speech and criminal threats, particularly when directed at high-ranking government officials and members of the judiciary.
Panos Anastasiou's arrest for allegedly threatening Supreme Court justices has brought attention to the serious nature of such actions. The charges against him carry potentially severe consequences, with a possible prison sentence exceeding 100 years if convicted on all counts. This case emphasizes the ongoing concerns surrounding the safety of Supreme Court justices and the challenges in balancing free speech with the protection of public officials.
