A 34-year-old man who reportedly had a cache of weapons and a Nazi flag in his house has been arrested after allegedly posting threats to rape Jewish ladies and inciting others to shoot individuals exterior synagogues.
Beverly man Matthew Scouras, who was busted following a tip from the feds, is accused of constructing “frightening and disturbing threats targeting the Jewish community.”
The FBI Nationwide Menace Operations Heart final week alerted Beverly Police a few resident posting a number of threats in opposition to individuals of Jewish religion on a web site.
The feds advised Beverly PD that an individual — at 527 Essex St. — posted threats to rape Jewish ladies and urged different customers of the positioning to shoot individuals exterior of synagogues.
After an preliminary go to to the house, police obtained a search warrant from Salem District Court docket. Scouras was taken into custody and held for a psychological well being analysis.
Police throughout their search of Scouras’ bed room discovered a Nazi flag, a 9mm Glock “ghost gun” with no serial quantity, six packing containers of ammunition, three large-capacity rifle magazines, 11 decrease receivers for varied rifles, different firearm components, scopes, pistol frames, a jig used for drilling holes into polymer pistol handles, rifle shares, and greater than $70,000 in money.
Scouras has been charged with: threats to destroy a spot of worship; possession of a firearm with no license (12 counts); unlawful possession of ammunition; possession of a giant capability feeding gadget; improper storage of a firearm; willful communication of a risk with a harmful merchandise (a firearm); and making of a firearm with no serial quantity.
He’s being held with out bail pending a detention listening to subsequent week.
The Anti-Defamation League mentioned this incident is a “grim reminder of hatred and threats targeting the Jewish community.”
“We are grateful to the Beverly Police Department for their swift investigation and subsequent arrest of a Beverly man on numerous firearms charges and inciting others online to commit acts of violence against Jewish women and shoot people outside of synagogues,” Peggy Shukur, VP of the Anti-Defamation League’s East Division, mentioned in an announcement.
“The frightening and disturbing threats targeting the Jewish community allegedly made by this individual coupled with a cache of firearms and Nazi flag found at his home suggest that a far more devastating outcome may have been averted,” Shukur added.
This incident comes lower than every week after the Government Workplace of Public Security launched knowledge that confirmed Massachusetts seeing extra reported antisemitic hate crimes in 2023 than at any time since authorities officers started monitoring such knowledge eight years in the past.
Shukur mentioned, “The impact of these incidents on a community’s sense of security and well-being cannot be understated and it will take time to restore.”
