Elizabeth Man Charged with Making Antisemitic Threat to Injure Local Public Official

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Edward Arthur Owens Jr., 29, a resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making a threat to injure a local public official, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Owens was arrested on the criminal complaint this morning by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the complaint, on May 20, 2025, Owens knowingly and willfully transmitted via a social media messaging app the following threat to injure a local public official: “We’re coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.” The complaint explains that the reference to “109 countries,” according to the Anti-Defamation League, is an antisemitic assertion that Jews have been expelled from 109 different countries; it is used by antisemites to call for the expulsion of Jews from other countries and otherwise to promote hatred. The recipient of the message is a local official who regularly engages with the public.

The United States has filed a request for detention of the defendant pending trial, asserting that he is a danger to the community and should be held without bail. A hearing on the government’s motion will be held June 5, 2025, at 10 a.m.

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint against Owens.

A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.