ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 A U.S.-Israeli citizen was arraigned in Orlando on Monday on federal charges tied to threats against Jewish institutions in Florida, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Michael Ron David Kadar, 27, is charged in the Middle District of Florida with hate crimes and obstruction of the free exercise of religion, according to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Federal prosecutors said the indictment alleges Kadar made threats against Jewish institutions throughout Florida, including schools and community centers.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutors, Kadar made multiple calls in early 2017 relaying bomb and active shooter threats to Jewish Community Centers across Florida, including preschool programs operated at those facilities.<\/p>\n
Many of the calls led to temporary closures, evacuations or lockdowns and required law enforcement and emergency crews to respond, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
No explosives were found, according to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Court records from the original 2017 complaint show several Orlando-area locations were named in the case.<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, Kadar was accused of calling Chabad South Orlando on Jan. 4, 2017, and saying there was a bomb in the school. The complaint said Chabad South Orlando operated a Jewish day school and preschool.<\/p>\n
Minutes later, prosecutors said Kadar called the Jewish Academy of Orlando, which was housed in the Roth Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando in Maitland.<\/p>\n
The complaint also references additional calls involving the Roth JCC, Glenridge Middle School in Orlando and Orlando International Airport.<\/p>\n
Federal authorities said the calls were part of a broader series of threats made to facilities across the United States and abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cTargeting individuals, groups, or institutions for their religious beliefs is contradictory to the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution and against the law,\u201d U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe said in a statement. \u201cThe crimes alleged in this indictment caused undue trepidation and threats of harm to the Jewish community in our district and will not be tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said Kadar arrived in the United States on June 18 after being extradited from Norway, where he had been detained at the request of the United States.<\/p>\n
Kadar had traveled to Norway after serving a sentence in Israel for related conduct, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Kadar also faces charges in Washington, D.C., tied to threats against the Israeli Embassy and the Anti-Defamation League\u2019s Washington offices, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
He also faces charges in the Middle District of Georgia tied to cyberstalking and a false report to police dispatch about an alleged hostage situation at a residence in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n
The hate crime charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The bomb threat charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and the interstate threat charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.<\/p>\n
The case was investigated by the FBI Tampa Division, FBI Washington Field Office and FBI Atlanta Division.<\/p>\n
An indictment is a formal charge. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.<\/p>\n
Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n