Amarillo man threatened to ‘tear out’ eyes, tongues of rabbis he could find, feds say
An Amarillo man who threatened to “tear out” rabbis’ eyes and tongues and kill every rabbi he could find has been charged with threatening Jews, federal authorities said Thursday.
His girlfriend also was taken into custody Wednesday after authorities said she pointed a handgun at federal agents during his arrest.
Federal authorities in North Texas identified the Amarillo man as Christopher Stephen Brown, 37, who is charged with interstate threatening communications.
His girlfriend, Rebekah Jones, 28, is charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon during Brown’s arrest.
Brown faces a maximum of five years in a federal prison if convicted, and Jones faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if she is convicted.
“Mr. Brown’s anti-Semitic statements were both disgusting and unlawful. The First Amendment may guarantee the right to make hateful remarks, but it does not allow for specific threats of violence against individuals. The circumstances of the defendant’s arrest only reinforce our belief that Mr. Brown poses a serious threat to the community,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham in a Thursday news release. “We are committed to protecting all of our citizens — especially those who are often persecuted.”
Brown is accused of contacting Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization headquartered in New York that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust, via its website on Dec. 2 and threatening to kill members of the Beth-Din, a Jewish rabbinical court. Brown’s messages called for death to all Jews and also included a video on Brown’s YouTube channel, “Dr. M Obidiah.”
On the channel, Brown — calling himself “Madrikh Obidiah” — said the Chabad Lubavitch chairman, vice chairman and founder’s son must die, according to the news release.
On Dec. 4, Brown is accused of leaving voicemail messages stating that Madrikh Obidiah would “tear out” rabbis’ eyes and tongues and kill every rabbi he could find.
“Mr. Brown allegedly expressed an intent to commit violent acts toward numerous entities including private citizens, law enforcement and Jewish rabbis associated with Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno in the news release. “Threatening statements are a serious criminal activity with consequences, and the FBI and our law enforcement partners will pursue those who pose a threat to the community when those threats intend to instill fear and potentially cause physical harm.”
Federal authorities arrested Brown on Wednesday, and that’s when officials said his girlfriend pointed a handgun at an FBI agent.
The pair were taken into custody without any injuries.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office along with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department.
