A Florida resident has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for issuing death threats against members of a Michigan-based Muslim organization.
Michael Shapiro, 73, received his sentence on Thursday, March 20, after pleading guilty to making threats directed at the Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) in 2023, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Court records indicate that Shapiro, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, made three threatening phone calls to the organization’s office in Canton, Michigan. The recorded messages included explicit threats, such as:
- December 8, 2023: “I’m going to kill you bastards. I’m going to kill you bastards.”
- December 14, 2023: “I’m going to kill you mother****** bastards. Muslims! I’m going to kill you mother******. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
- December 15, 2023: “You’re a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother******. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you mother******!”
Shapiro formally pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024, to charges of transmitting threats across state lines.
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According to federal prosecutors, he admitted that his threats specifically targeted CAIR-MI due to the religious and ethnic backgrounds of the individuals associated with the organization.
The case underscores the serious legal consequences of hate-fueled threats and highlights ongoing efforts to combat religious and ethnic intimidation in the United States.