Following a string of voicemails that led to federal charges, Michael Shapiro, 72, of West Palm Beach, Florida, entered a guilty plea for threatening to kill members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan Chapter (CAIR-MI). The group that represents Muslims in America was the focus of Shapiro’s threats, which were left on three different times in December 2023.
The “actual and perceived religion and national origin of the people who work at and are assisted by CAIR,” according to a statement obtained by ClickonDetroit, prompted Shapiro, who was charged with three counts of transmitting threats to interstate commerce, to confess in a federal courtroom to using threatening language. One voicemail left by Shapiro on December 8, 2023, stated, “I’m going to kill you bastards.” Days later, this threat was reiterated using language that explicitly targeted Muslims.
Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson, the case emphasizes the legal consequences of intimidation motivated by hate. “No one has the right to terrorize a whole community by threatening violence. According to CBS News Detroit, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison stated in a statement that today’s conviction “should send a strong message that those who do so will be investigated, identified, and aggressively prosecuted.”
In order to resolve Shapiro’s case, federal and local law enforcement have to work together. Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Michigan said, “This conviction serves as a powerful demonstration of the serious consequences faced by those who engage in hate-fueled threats, sending a clear warning to others,” as reported by CBS News Detroit. In order to make it abundantly evident that threats driven by bigotry will not be accepted, the FBI and the Canton Police Department are working together to combat bias-inspired violence.
Shapiro admitted in court the biassed motivations underlying his behavior in addition to the offense he pled guilty to. Federal authorities moved quickly to identify and prosecute the perpetrator after the threats against CAIR-MI in Canton Township had an impact on the community.
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