DETROIT – Eight individuals associated with the University of Michigan were indicted for their alleged roles in conspiracies to threaten University of Michigan leaders, law enforcement, and businesses, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, announced U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office joined Gorgon in the announcement. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Zainab Aliasgar Hakim (Canton, Michigan) (age 23), Amatullah Aliasgar Hakim (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 21), Paige Elizabeth Feyock (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 26), Ahmet Kerem Korkaya (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (age 28), Jonathan Hongru Zou (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 22), Alexander Matthew Sepulveda (Chicago, Illinois) (age 23), Mariam Muhammed Odeh (Dearborn, Michigan) (age 24), and Colin Hunter Weger (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 24).“In America, we rule by law not by fear. These alleged threats and attempts to terrorize government officials, businesses, and the Jewish Federation are anti-American. We will counter intimidation with justice.” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “No one has the right to threaten, intimidate, and coerce public officials, law enforcement officers, community institutions, or their families. In the dead of night, masked and hooded defendants allegedly threw noxious chemicals through the windows of families’ homes and taped demand letters to their front doors. At every step they attempted to cover their tracks and delete evidence of their crimes. Those who engage in coordinated campaigns of threats and intimidation should expect to be held fully accountable under federal law,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This multi-state operation led to the arrests of numerous defendants across Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin for alleged criminal activity committed within our state. I am grateful for the exceptional work of the dedicated FBI Detroit team, alongside our partners from FBI Chicago, FBI Milwaukee, University of Michigan Department of Public Safety, Ann Arbor PD, Huntington Woods PD, City of Plymouth PD, Bloomfield Twp PD, Canton PD, Chicago PD (Illinois), Milwaukee PD, Southfield PD, Novi PD, Romulus PD, West Bloomfield PD, Michigan State Police, Ypsilanti PD, Eastern Michigan University PD, and the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center, whose collaboration made this operation possible."After the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, the defendants and unindicted conspirators enacted a series of coordinated “actions” threatening University of Michigan leaders, law enforcement, and businesses. Seemingly prompted by their perception of the University of Michigan’s and other victims’ purported financial support of Israel, the conspirators insisted publicly that they “must escalate, mobilize, and organize to demand divestment by any means necessary.” According to the indictment, on October 20, 2023, the defendants publicly posted a list of demands on social media directed at University of Michigan leadership. Among the demands, they required the University to make a “full and complete divestment” from Israel and any businesses supporting Israel. Unsatisfied by the University’s response, the defendants “prepared to take action” against the leadership by what they called “autonomous actions,” which included forcibly entering and occupying University of Michigan buildings, defacing buildings, and blocking and disrupting events on campus…
Source: U.S. Department of Justice