Elizabeth man sentenced to 30 months in prison for antisemitic threats

By the MVI

An Elizabeth man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 30 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of making a threat to injure a local public official and making false statements to government agents, U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.

Senior U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Edward Arthur Owens Jr., 30.

“Today’s sentencing sends two strong and unequivocal messages,” said Rivetti. “First, it reaffirms that our community remains stronger than hate. Time and again, the people of this district have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to unity, resilience, safety, and dignity for all.

“Second, it again shows that our office and our law enforcement partners at every level will continue to work side by side to ensure that individuals who commit crimes driven by hate — who harm, threaten, or attempt to intimidate others because of who they are — will be held accountable to the fullest extent of federal law.”

According to information presented to the court, on May 20, 2025, Owens knowingly and willfully transmitted via a social media messaging app the following threat to injure a local public official: “We’re coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.” The reference to “109 countries” is an antisemitic assertion that Jews have been expelled from 109 different countries; it is used by antisemites to call for the expulsion of Jews from other countries and otherwise to promote hatred.

Additionally, on or about May 30, 2025, Owens made false statements to FBI special agents, telling them that his firearms — which included a .22 LR caliber rifle, an AR-15 style rifle, and a 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol — were all in the custody of his mother, that he did not know where the firearms were, and that he did not have access to any of them.

Those statements were false in that Owens did, in fact, know that his 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol was still in his custody and control (located inside the vehicle Owens drove immediately prior to making his false statements to the FBI agents), that he still had access to this pistol and that the pistol was not in his mother’s custody.

Prior to imposing sentence, Fischer noted that the defendant’s threat “created real fear and trepidation” for the victim and “caused the victim to have to change their way of living.”