A Glendale man is facing a federal charge after prosecutors say he posted an antisemitic flyer on the front door of a Phoenix synagogue last summer.
According to an indictment returned Wednesday in Phoenix, 33-year-old Kevin Charles Pyles is accused of placing the flyer on the entrance of Sha'arei Shalom Congregation on July 11, 2025.
In a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, prosecutors said Pyles is charged with Intentional Defacement of Religious Real Property. U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said, "This indictment is a message to the community – we will not tolerate the defacement or destruction of any house of worship." The FBI’s Phoenix Division and the Phoenix Police Department are handling the investigation.
The federal case follows an earlier arrest in August 2025 that drew local attention. Court documents described months of social media posts in which Pyles allegedly photographed Sha'arei Shalom and posted violent, antisemitic threats. AZFamily reported that state charges in that case included making a terrorist threat and computer tampering, and that court paperwork noted a revolver found in his car and an MP40-style weapon kept in storage. Community groups and security partners flagged the online posts to police, prompting the state investigation.
Charges and penalties
The federal count of Intentional Defacement of Religious Real Property carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The release states that Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Rehrig are prosecuting the case alongside the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The indictment is listed as case number CR-26-00688-PHX-JJT.
Local reaction and wider context
Advocates say the incident fits a troubling national trend. The Anti-Defamation League recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents in 2024, the highest annual total on record, according to ADL data.
CAIR’s Arizona chapter previously welcomed charges tied to threats against the same synagogue and urged houses of worship to shore up security practices. Investigators said hate-crime probes remain a priority for the FBI and local law enforcement as they continue the federal inquiry.
The indictment is an allegation, and Pyles is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. The U.S. Attorney’s Office provided a public affairs contact in its release for anyone seeking additional information.
