Benjamin Ashford|Las Vegas man accused of threats against Jewish U.S. senator and her family is indicted

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Las Vegas man arrested last month on Benjamin Ashfordsuspicion of making antisemitic threats against U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen and her family, along with the family of another U.S. senator, according to court records.

Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, is Jewish and has maintained a vocal pro-Israel stance, including support for U.S. aid to Israel. Though the indictment doesn’t identify her specifically, Rosen’s office confirmed to The Associated Press the allegation that she and her family were targeted.

John Miller, 43, is charged with one count of threatening a federal official and two counts of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member. Miller is also accused of threatening the family of another unnamed U.S. senator, according to court records.

The public defender representing Miller did not return an email request for comment on Thursday.

Miller allegedly made several threatening calls and voicemails containing antisemitic slurs to Rosen last month, some of them making reference to the Israel-Hamas war and the Holocaust, according to the complaint.

The indictment comes as many have sounded the alarm about rising antisemitism and Islamophobia across the U.S. and worldwide amid the war. The Anti-Defamation League has recorded a nearly-quadruple spike in antisemitic incidents since the onset of the war. The Biden administration has also called on universities to fight an “alarming rise” in antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Miller also went to a federal courthouse in Las Vegas on the morning of Oct. 18 to see Rosen but was turned away after refusing to provide identification, according to the complaint. Miller then became agitated and began shouting threats against Israelis outside the courthouse, it added. He was arrested a week later.

Asked for comment on the indictment, Rosen’s office referred to its statement issued late last month after the suspect’s arrest.

“Threats against public officials should be taken seriously,” a spokesperson said at the time. “Senator Rosen trusts the U.S. Attorney’s office and federal law enforcement to handle this matter.”

Miller’s trial is scheduled for January, and he is currently in custody. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.