A Flock security camera on Washington Avenue in Houston in 2025. A Houston man is accused of making antisemitic threats against Jewish staff members in a voicemail to Georgia-based Flock Safety, prosecutors say.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
A Houston man faces federal charges for allegedly threatening to kill Jewish people at Georgia-based Flock Safety, a company that builds license plate reader cameras and surveillance networks.
Jordan Nicholas Hadley, 31, is under federal prosecution in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, after he allegedly made antisemitic threats online or over the phone, according to a release from the attorney’s office.
He is charged with “transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another,” according to online court documents. No attorney was listed for Hadley in court records as of Tuesday.
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The charges stem from an antisemitic message left April 24 in the voicemail inbox of Atlanta-based Flock Safety, in which the caller, who prosecutors say was Hadley, indicated he did not want to be filmed by the company’s cameras.
Hadley was arrested June 9 on a criminal complaint and will appear in an Atlanta court at a later date. His arrest was part of the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to crack down on rising antisemitism. He is the fourth defendant in 12 months to face federal prosecution in the Northern District of Georgia for allegedly making antisemitic threats online or over the phone, according to the attorney’s office release.
“These men allegedly spewed vile hate and threatened violent attacks against Jews,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Threats against any person based on his or her religious beliefs will not be tolerated, and these charges reflect my office’s commitment to working with law enforcement partners to combat the pernicious evil of antisemitism and hold accountable anyone who threatens members of our community.”
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A Maryland man and two Georgia men were also arrested as part of the operation. One of the men has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this week, according to the release.
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Georgia or anywhere,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI’s work to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution includes the assurance to every single American that they are allowed to practice their religion without fear of threats or harm.”
A statement from Flock expressed gratitude for the investigation and arrest carried out by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
“This incident reflects a broader pattern of hate, harassment, and intimidation that has no place in our communities,” said Paris Lewbel, public relations manager with Flock Safety, in the statement. “Flock fully supports people making their voices heard through the democratic process and engaging in thoughtful debate about the role of technology, but threats of violence should never be part of that process.”
Since July 4 in Houston, several Flock Safety cameras have been vandalized or have gone missing in two areas of the city. The Houston Police Department continues to investigate, according to local media reports.
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Last week, several residents spoke in public comment at the Harris County Commissioners meeting asking the court to terminate its contract with Flock. The contract was just renewed in May.
Civil rights groups believe the cameras violate privacy as they provide information about individuals’ daily routines and whereabouts.
“Flock Safety technology combines video, gunshot detection and investigative software to help law enforcement, schools, neighborhoods and businesses locate vehicles, understand incidents and collaborate across jurisdictions,” according to company information.
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Flock Safety did not confirm whether any of the Houston damaged cameras were owned by their company, but offered a statement about the destruction of its cameras.
“Damaging public safety equipment is illegal and puts the community at risk, which is why we strongly condemn this type of behavior,” Lewbel said in a statement last week. “Since partnering with Flock in 2021, HPD has recovered more than $7.4 million worth of stolen vehicles and uses the technology daily to investigate burglaries, homicides and organized retail theft.”