Federal prosecutors announced charges against four additional defendants on Friday in connection with a sprawling conspiracy involving threats, vandalism, and coordinated acts of intimidation targeting the Jewish Federation of Detroit, University of Michigan leadership, university law enforcement personnel, and local businesses.
According to federal indictments and investigative findings, the case stems from a sustained campaign of harassment and property destruction directed at university officials, two university regents, other university leadership, a university police lieutenant, a university student, and Jewish community organizations that escalated following the October 2023 conflict in the Middle East. Federal investigators stated that the conspiracy sought to pressure the University of Michigan into divesting its endowment from companies with perceived ties to Israel.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, the campaign involved incidents of high-profile vandalism and intimidation, including breaking windows, throwing glass jars filled with noxious chemicals into family homes, placing fake bloody corpses in a university board member’s yard, and spray-painting anti-Israel messages at the private residence of then-university president Santa Ono.
Investigators also detailed that the conspirators marked victims’ homes and workplaces with symbols associated with Hamas, including red handprints and red inverted triangles, a symbol used by Hamas to mark targets for death, and documented their attacks to share on social media alongside warnings of additional threats.
The superseding indictment brings the total number of defendants charged in the federal investigation to 12, following an initial round of indictments that targeted eight individuals in June. The newly charged individuals are Henry David MacKeen-Shapiro, 23, Aaron Hunter Vonbargen, 25, Joseph Mark Fisher, 23, and Srishti Tarana Sharma, 23. Authorities stated that two of the defendants were taken into custody while the remaining two individuals remained at large.
People targeting Jews throughout history are 'the bad guys,' Gorgon said
Announcing the expanded charges on Friday, US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. strongly condemned the alleged actions.
“These alleged attempts to terrorize our Jewish community and government officials are nothing new,” said Gorgon. “From Pharaoh to Hitler to Hamas, those who terrorize Jews have been the bad guys. As Americans, our job is to fight the bad guys.”
Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, echoed those sentiments regarding accountability.
“Those who believe they can threaten families, hide behind a group, and avoid accountability should think again. Justice will find you,” said Runyan. “These additional charges reflect the continued work of FBI Detroit and the many local, state, and federal agencies supporting this investigation. I want to thank every partner involved, including the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, for their continued coordination, persistence, and commitment to holding accountable those who use fear and intimidation against others.”
According to local media reporting by outlets such as The Detroit News and Fox 2 Detroit, the initial round of eight defendants indicted earlier in June previously entered pleas of not guilty. Legal representatives and defense advocates for pro-Palestinian activists have criticized the federal prosecutions, arguing in local coverage that the government’s approach seeks to criminalize student opposition and political speech regarding the conflict in Gaza.
The Department of Justice said that the charges contained in the superseding indictment are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Jewish Federation of Detroit tells 'Post' antisemitism must not go unanswered
The Jewish Federation of Detroit said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post that it “is deeply grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners for their diligence and commitment to this investigation.”
“Hate, intimidation and antisemitism must never be tolerated or allowed to go unanswered. These additional charges represent an important step toward accountability and send a clear message that those who target individuals, families and institutions with threats and violence will be pursued and held responsible under the law,” the Jewish Federation of Detroit said to the Post.
A request for comment sent to the University of Michigan on Sunday was pending at the time of publication.