Central Intelligence Agency, taken March 8, 2011.
(CIA)
An Indiana man, who worked as a freelance reporter for the Dearborn-based Arab American News, is jailed after being charged with making online threats against Jews and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials.
Jeffrey Stevens, 41, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was charged last week with a single count of interstate communication of a threat, a five-year felony.
According to a federal affidavit filed Feb. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Stevens made threats, often laced with racial slurs, through Facebook Messenger, as well as on the CIA website.
“I am going to kill every Jew in ft. Wayne, and there is nothing you can do to stop it because you are stupid n—-ers,” the affidavit quoted a message alleged to have been sent by Stevens on Nov. 20 to the Fort Wayne Police Department’s Facebook account. “I am going to make sure I kill every one of you, especially the dark ones, and there is nothing you stupid n—-ers can [do] about it.”
Stevens has written several dozen articles for the Arab American News, the last one on Nov. 21, 2023. Aprofileon the paper’s website states he is “the founder and director of Azarias Project, a 501c3 nonprofit organization publishing the truth from Gaza and the West Bank that isn’t found through mainstream media. He also covers the Middle East for multiple publications.”
Jeffrey Stevens, who goes by Zaid Stevens (LinkedIn photo)
theX accountassociated with his profile page says it has been suspended, aLinkedIn pagehe uses under the name Zaid Stevens is still active.
Arab American News publisher Osama Siblanitold The Detroit Newson Monday that he had not heard of Stevens’ arrest.
“He didn’t actually work for us, although his articles are on our website,” Siblani told the paper. “He’s definitely against Israel 100%. We didn’t post most of the stuff he sent us because it didn’t meet our editorial standards.”
The affidavit says that the FBI was contacted by a concerned Facebook user on Oct. 13 concerning posts Stevens made about the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, one of which said, “Death to the Zionist.”
Agents say they then uncovered several messages sent by Stevens to the CIA beginning in September, using increasingly violent language, including a Nov. 17 communication in which he made direct and explicit threats.
“I am going to shoot every pro-israel US government official in the head, and there is nothing you can do about it because you are the pathetic CIA. I am going to kill all of you,” Stevens reportedly said.
Federal authorities say a Dec. 10 message by Stevens was also posted to the CIA website.
“People will remember me. I am going to be the pro-Palestinian who finally had enough that i started eliminating CIA operatives. You will only be remembered as one of the many bitches who were slaughtered. I am going to make sure that every CIA member who is pro-Israel is eliminated. I am so confident that I will give you my phone number, and there is nothing you can do about it because you are a botch (sic). I will f–k you up.”
The indictment says when federal agents executed a search warrant at Stevens’ Fort Wayne home on Feb. 2, he admitted to sending the messages, but blamed them on his drinking problem.
If convicted, Stevens faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.
He remains held without bond after officials said a preponderance of the evidence indicated that they could not “reasonably assure the defendant’s appearance as required.”
Other reasons cited for his detention included a prior criminal history, history of violence or use of weapons, a history of alcohol or substance abuse and a prior failure to appear in court as ordered, as well as past violations of probation, parole, or supervised release.
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