Man arrested in Alaska for threatening to kill 6 U.S. Supreme Court justices: Justice Department

A man was arrested Wednesday in Anchorage, Alaska, for allegedly threatening to injure and kill six U.S. Supreme Court justices and their family members, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Panos Anastasiou, 76, sent more than 465 messages to the Supreme Court through a public website the court maintained between March 10, 2023, and July 16, according to court documents.

His messages "contained violent, racist, and homophobic rhetoric coupled with threats of assassination by torture, hanging, and firearms," the agency said in a statement.

Anastasiou is charged with nine counts of making threats against a federal judge and 13 counts of making threats in interstate commerce. He made his initial court appearance Wednesday in Alaska.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the defendant is accused of making "repeated, heinous threats to murder and torture Supreme Court Justices and their families to retaliate against them for decisions he disagreed with."

"Our justice system depends on the ability of judges to make their decisions based on the law, and not on fear. Our democracy depends on the ability of public officials to do their jobs without fearing for their lives or the safety of their families," he said.

If convicted, Anastasiou faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of making threats against a federal judge and a maximum of five years for each count of making threats in interstate commerce, according to the statement.