A Massachusetts man was sentenced Thursday to over two years in prison for a string of violent threats targeting Jewish institutions and the Israeli Consulate in Boston, reported NBC 10 News in Providence, Rhode Island.
John Reardon, 60, was handed a 26-month prison term along with three years of supervised release for his role in a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed at the Jewish community. In addition, he was ordered to pay $1,260 in restitution to the victims.
The sentencing follows Reardon’s guilty plea in November to three federal charges: obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force in connection with a synagogue in Attleboro; transmission of threats across state lines targeting a synagogue in Sharon; and stalking via interstate communication involving the Israeli Consulate.
Prosecutors said Reardon was initially taken into custody in January 2024 after making repeated threats to bomb synagogues in both Attleboro and Sharon, and vowing to kill Jewish individuals.
Authorities revealed that between October 7, 2023, and January 29, 2024, Reardon made 98 harassing phone calls to the Israeli Consulate in Boston, during which he issued threatening and antisemitic statements.