Michael Kadar, a 27-year-old Israeli-American citizen known as the “Ashkelon Hacker,” was extradited from Norway to the United States and appeared Monday for arraignment in federal court in Orlando.
1+According to the indictment, Kadar made a series of threatening phone calls to Jewish institutions across Florida in early 2017, falsely warning of planted bombs and imminent shooting attacks.
The threats caused widespread panic, mass evacuations, and temporary closures of schools and community centers. Large police and emergency forces rushed to the various sites, but after thorough searches it turned out the threats were hoaxes and no explosives were found.
1+The Florida case is only one of several federal cases Kadar now faces in the United States. He has also been indicted in two additional federal districts. In Washington, D.C., he’s charged with making threats against the Israeli Embassy and the Anti-Defamation League offices.
Meanwhile, in Georgia he faces charges for online harassment and filing a false police report about a fictitious hostage situation at a private home—an action designed to dispatch armed special forces to the victim’s address.
If convicted, Kadar could face severe punishment: the hate crime charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, the bomb threat charges up to 10 years, and interstate threats up to five years.
Additionally, the court may order him to pay restitution. The U.S. Justice Department emphasized that the indictment is merely an allegation, and that Kadar is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.