Essex County Man Charged with Transmitting Threats to Jewish Individuals and a California-Based Business

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to Jewish individuals and to a California-based business, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Milo Sedarat, 21, of Montclair, New Jersey, was charged with two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Sedarat previously, on November 5, 2025, had his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa, and was detained.

According to statements made in court and documents filed in the case:

In numerous direct messages on a social media platform, Sedarat expressed his hatred towards Jewish people and his desire to kill them.  Specifically, on January 15, 2025, Sedarat stated through direct message to another individual, “I hate Israel more than anything - [a]nd the people who support or sympathize - [b]ro my moms Jewish friends r brainwashing her . . . into being a Zionist . . . I wanna kill her friends [l]ike deadass . . . I’m gonna stab them with my sword.”  Sedarat also sent photographs to the individual via the social media platform depicting himself holding a sword, holding a knife, and holding two swords.   

On July 24, 2025, Sedarat texted another individual, “[b]ro, I’m actually gonna go strap a bomb to my chest and go blow up [California-based company] headquarters.”  The California-based company is an online platform headquartered in Palo Alto, California where businesses can hire freelancers to perform a variety of services, such as writing, graphic design, web development, marketing, and other online work.  Sedarat appeared to claim in the text conversation that the California-based company “stole my money and income” by closing his account.  

The counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce each have a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.  

Senior Counsel Lamparello credited Special Agents and Joint Terrorism Task Force Officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, New Jersey and officers of the New York Police Department and Montclair Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith, Sammi Malek, and Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark, and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel for Sedarat: Areeb Salim, Esq.