This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/us/jcc-bomb-threats.html

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
U.S. Jewish Center Bomb Threat Suspect Is Arrested in Israel Jewish Center Bomb Threat Suspect Is Arrested in Israel
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — The Israeli police on Thursday arrested a man believed to be responsible for scores of bomb threats that were phoned in to Jewish community centers across the United States, American officials said. JERUSALEM — The police on Thursday arrested an Israeli teenager who holds American citizenship in connection with scores of threats to Jewish institutions, including dozens of community centers in the United States, law enforcement officials said.
The F.B.I. confirmed in a statement that the bureau had worked with the Israeli national police to arrest the teenager, who, officials said, holds citizenship in both Israel and the United States. A spokesman for the police here, Micky Rosenfeld, said the suspect, from the Ashkelon area of southern Israel, had also made threats to institutions in Australia and New Zealand, as well as to at least one commercial airline flight, forcing an emergency landing.
“Investigating hate crimes is a top priority for the F.B.I., and we will continue to work to make sure all races and religions feel safe in their communities and in their places of worship,” a spokeswoman for the F.B.I., Samantha Shero, said. She said the bureau could not provide additional information about its inquiry. “This is the guy we are talking about,” Mr. Rosenfeld said.
The authorities did not immediately identify the teenager, who they said was Jewish and 19. Other reports put his age at 18. He was expected to appear in court later Thursday.
The suspect’s motives were not immediately clear. He was being questioned by the international investigations unit of the Israeli police.
The arrest took place after a monthslong investigation in cooperation with the F.B.I. and other police and security agencies in the United States and Europe, the Israeli police said in a statement.
“The investigation began in several countries at the same time, in which dozens of threatening calls were received at public places, events, synagogues and community buildings that caused panic and disrupted events and activities in various organizations,” the statement said.
Representatives of the F.B.I. and police organizations from various other countries arrived in Israel to take part in the investigation, the statement said, adding that technology was used to track the suspect down.
In Washington, the F.B.I. confirmed the arrest. A spokeswoman, Samantha Shero, said, “Investigating hate crimes is a top priority for the F.B.I., and we will continue to work to make sure all races and religions feel safe in their communities and in their places of worship.”
Jewish community centers across the United States have reported more than 100 bomb threats since the beginning of the year. The calls, which President Trump condemned during an address to Congress last month, led to evacuations and bomb sweeps and heightened worries about anti-Semitism in the United States.Jewish community centers across the United States have reported more than 100 bomb threats since the beginning of the year. The calls, which President Trump condemned during an address to Congress last month, led to evacuations and bomb sweeps and heightened worries about anti-Semitism in the United States.
The suspect was using anonymizer software to cover his tracks, according to federal law enforcement officials in the United States. The technology made it harder for the F.B.I. to pinpoint who was making the threats. The inquiry was complicated by what the authorities described as the suspect’s use of “advanced camouflage technologies” to try to cover up his communications, which he made through the internet. When the Israeli police searched the suspect’s house, investigators confiscated computers, an antenna and other equipment.
The suspect used a device to warp his voice when he made his threats and used wireless internet from neighbors, some quite far away, according to Israel Radio. The Haaretz newspaper reported that the suspect had not been drafted for compulsory military service, like most Jewish 18-year-olds, on personal grounds because the military found him unfit to serve.
The case in Israel is separate from that of the St. Louis man who was arrested this month and accused of making at least a half-dozen other threats to Jewish centers. In a complaint in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the authorities said that man, Juan Thompson, had acted as part of an effort to intimidate a former girlfriend.The case in Israel is separate from that of the St. Louis man who was arrested this month and accused of making at least a half-dozen other threats to Jewish centers. In a complaint in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the authorities said that man, Juan Thompson, had acted as part of an effort to intimidate a former girlfriend.