Justin Herdman, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced a federal charge of transmitting threatening communications through interstate commerce against James Reardon, who is accused of threatening an Ohio Jewish center.
According to CNN, an Instagram account tied to Reardon was filled with racist and anti Semitic content. Authorities say a video posted there showed a man firing a rifle amid sirens and screams. It was tagged to the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown and carried a caption claiming police had identified the shooter of the center as a local white nationalist.
At a press conference, Herdman used the moment to send a message to anyone who shares those views. “The Constitution may give you a voice, but it doesn’t guarantee you a receptive audience,” he said. He added that threats of violence do not make anyone a soldier, and that law enforcement does not go to war with those who break the law, it arrests them and sends them to prison.
Herdman acknowledged that the Constitution protects the right to speak and believe even hateful ideas, but he made clear there can be serious legal consequences when speech becomes a threat.
A criminal complaint contains allegations only, and Reardon is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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