Federal prosecutors and the FBI have charged four men in a string of antisemitic and violent threats that rattled Jewish institutions and workers across metro Atlanta and beyond. The cases range from a menacing voicemail left for Atlanta-based surveillance firm Flock Safety, to graphic online messages aimed at PrizePicks employees, to in-person encounters at Midtown synagogues. One defendant has already pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, while the others remain under federal indictment or are awaiting initial court appearances.
Voicemail directed at Atlanta tech firm
In one of the earliest cases, Houston resident Jordan Nicholas Hadley allegedly left a profanity-laced voicemail in Flock Safety’s inbox that included explicit antisemitic slurs and the threat, “You’re a bunch of Jewish f*gg*ts who are breaking the Constitution… I’ll find you and I’ll f*****g kill you,” according to reporting that cites an FBI affidavit. Prosecutors say investigators used phone records to trace the outgoing call to Hadley, leading to his arrest on a criminal complaint in early July. His case is moving through federal court in Texas while investigators continue reviewing the recording and other related evidence, as reported by JNS.
Indictment follows confrontations at Jewish centers
Another case centers on Christopher Robertson, who was indicted after a series of July 2025 incidents in which prosecutors say he entered the gated parking lot of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, confronted staff at The Temple in Midtown, and later recorded himself inside a Chabad in Peachtree City. Federal authorities say Robertson posted videos of himself holding a pistol and making violent, racially charged threats, and that investigators temporarily boosted patrols at about 80 Jewish facilities while they worked the case. “The allegations against Robertson, which include menacing visits to Jewish facilities and vile online threats against Jews and Blacks, are of great concern,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a press release. As detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, Robertson was taken into custody after what officials describe as a lengthy standoff with the FBI.
PrizePicks employees also targeted
Federal prosecutors say the threats did not stop at physical locations. In an online customer chat on or around April 3, Aaron John Sasser allegedly sent graphic messages warning that he would “drive down to Atlanta to blow up the PrizePicks headquarters” and attack an employee’s family. He was arrested on April 6. In a separate investigation, 25-year-old Matthew Alan Souza of Acworth was detained on May 8 and later pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating interstate threats on June 11. Souza is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday. Those details were reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, which compiled information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal law and penalties
All four prosecutions rely on federal statutes that criminalize transmitting threats across state lines. Under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), a conviction can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Courts are tasked with deciding whether a message counts as a “true threat” and whether it traveled in interstate commerce before the statute applies. Sentences can increase if prosecutors obtain enhancements for bias-motivated conduct or other aggravating factors. For the statutory text, see the Legal Information Institute’s summary of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c) at Cornell LII.
Federal response and community impact
Officials say the cluster of cases highlights a broader federal push to confront threats delivered by phone, online platforms and in person, which can leap across jurisdictions long before anyone shows up at a front door. Authorities have urged community institutions to report suspicious communications quickly and are coordinating with local law enforcement on security planning and follow up investigations. Community leaders and security networks say they are closely tracking court dates and working with law enforcement to reinforce protections at synagogues and Jewish centers across the region, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
As the federal cases move through the courts, prosecutors say outcomes will depend on plea negotiations, sentencing guidelines and the evidence presented at trial or at sentencing hearings. Community groups have indicated they plan to stay engaged with law enforcement while monitoring the next scheduled appearances.
