Indian American man Deep Alpesh Kumar arrested for anti-semitic threats to World Jewish Congress

Indian-American man arrested for death threat against World Jewish Congress.

A 21-year-old Florida man, Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel, was arrested on charges of making a death threat to a prominent Jewish organization, the World Jewish Congress in New York. The arrest comes after Patel allegedly left a threatening voicemail on October 21, 2023, targeting Jewish people, according to a complaint affidavit unsealed by the Justice Department.

The accused used to procure drugs from across the border and further supplied it to consumers or drug addicts besides local drug peddlers, said SP Ketan Bansal, adding that more arrests will be made soon in the case. (Getty Images)

In the voicemail, Patel is reported to have identified himself by name and unleashed a barrage of expletives, stating, "If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli." The threatening message prompted an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Federal authorities emphasize that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charge, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Patel, if convicted, could face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

When police officers interviewed Patel at his Sarasota home, he confirmed making the call but denied any intention of threatening anyone. Instead, Patel claimed that he had called Jewish centres to express his family's anger with Israel for what he perceived as the genocide of the Palestinian people. He stated that he used harsh language to convey his anger, not to threaten or scare.

Notably, FBI Director Christopher Wray recently informed a Senate panel that Jewish people, who make up 2.4% of the U.S. population, receive a disproportionately high number of religious-based threats. Nearly 60% of such threats in the United States are directed at the Jewish community. Wray emphasized that Jewish individuals are uniquely targeted by various terrorist organizations across the spectrum.