North Carolina man charged with threatening Georgia rabbi, DOJ says

MACON, Ga. (WBTV) – A North Carolina man is in custody and federally charged with allegedly mailing an antisemitic threat to a Georgia rabbi.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 31, of High Point, is charged with one count of mailing threatening communications. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 9 and was unsealed on May 2. Collazo Ramos was taken into custody at his High Point home Thursday.

His initial appearance will occur in the Middle District of North Carolina at a time determined by the court.

According to the indictment, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel in Macon received a threatening postcard at her home via the U.S. Postal Service on Feb. 1, 2024, allegedly from Collazo Ramos. On one side of the postcard, there was a handwritten message: “Is there a child rape, torture, and murder tunnel under your house? We have the Zyklon B. Use Code “GASTHEJEWS” for 10% off!” The reverse side of the postcard displayed a hand-drawn image depicting a purported Jewish man wearing a rat costume and the words “JEWS ARE RATS.”

If convicted, Collazo Ramos faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by FBI.

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