Following his obscene threats issued via a public communication site to the justices of the Supreme Court, an Alaskan man was charged and arrested. According to court records, 76-year-old Panos Anastasiou made repeated threats to hurt and murder six judges by using derogatory and aggressive words. He made references to lynching and shooting justices and even threatened their families. According to the Justice Department, one message called for mass assassinations, stating, “If you’re corrupt, you’re corrupt.” Anastasiou allegedly sent over 465 messages, with some targeting specific justices.
Threats targeted a justice identified as “Justice 1,” focusing on a racially charged lynching. The messages also threatened the justice’s wife, calling her an “insurrectionist wife.” Additionally, the texts named another justice, referred to as “Justice 2.” After an incident outside his home involving an upside-down American flag, messages regarding this justice appeared. Anastasiou eventually persisted in threatening others, even after FBI agents visited him to discuss his behavior.
At his court appearance in Alaska, Anastasiou pleaded not guilty. His lawyer for public affairs said nothing. According to the FBI investigation, Anastasiou allegedly began threatening them in March 2023 and continued to do so until July. Anastasiou persisted in his intimidating behavior even after the FBI approached him.
Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon placed Anastasiou under arrest, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday. Despite the Alaskan man being arrested and charged, authorities remain concerned about the ongoing threat posed by Anastasiou’s increasingly intense violent rhetoric, which targets judges and their families.
