North Carolina man in custody, charged with mailing threatening postcard to Middle Georgia rabbi

A North Carolina man is now in custody and charged with mailing an antisemitic threat to a Middle Georgia rabbi.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A North Carolina man is now in custody and charged with mailing an antisemitic threat to a Middle Georgia rabbi.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, 31-year-old Ariel E. Collazo Ramos of High Point, North Carolina, 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 Thursday. Collazo Ramos was taken into custody on Thursday, and his initial appearance will be in the Middle District of North Carolina at a time determined by the Court, the release stated.

According to the indictment, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel received a threatening postcard at her home via the U.S. Postal Service on February 1 that included the 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 included a hand-drawn image depicting a purported Jewish male wearing a rat costume and the words “JEWS ARE RATS,” the release added.

Collazo Ramos faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he’s convicted.

The FBI is investigating the case.