Anchorage man charged with threatening U.S. Supreme Court Justices, their family members

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment today charging an Anchorage man with threatening to injure and kill six U.S. Supreme Court Justices and some of their family members.

According to court documents, Panos Anastasiou, 76, was arrested today. The indictment alleges that between March 10, 2023, and July 16, 2024, Anastasiou sent over 465 messages to the Supreme Court through a public website the court maintained.

Beginning on Jan. 4, 2024, Anastasiou’s messages allegedly escalated to messages intending to threaten harm toward the victims. The messages contained violent, racist and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination by torture, hanging and firearms.

Anastasiou is charged with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. The defendant made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for each count of making threats against a federal judge and up to five years in prison for each count of making threats in interstate commerce. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.

The Supreme Court of the United States Police, Protective Intelligence Unit, with significant support from the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI Anchorage Field Office, is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Taylor is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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