PA man charged for anti-semitic threat to public official
(WJET/WFXP)– A Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening an Allegheny County official using anti-semitic tropes.
Federal authorities have charged 29-year-old Edward Owens Jr. of Elizabeth, PA, for that alleged threat made on social media on May 20, which read:
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'We're coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.'
The threat was investigated by the FBI, leading to a criminal complaint being filed.
The phrase '109 countries for a reason' is a reference to a frequently used assertion by anti-semites that claims Jews have been expelled by 109 countries and support further expelling Jewish people, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
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Prosecutors also requested Owens Jr. be held without bail, claiming he's a public threat. A hearing for that is set to take place on Thursday, June 5.
The name of the official was not released.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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