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Millis man sentenced for threatening to bomb Mass. synagogues, kill Jewish people
The man was arrested in January 2024 after he called and threatened to bomb Jewish houses of worship and kill all Jewish people.
A Millis man was sentenced Thursday to 26 months in prison for threatening to bomb synagogues and kill members of the Jewish community, according to federal prosecutors.
John Reardon, 60, previously pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person, and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement.
Reardon’s prison sentence is set to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to prosecutors. He was also ordered to pay $1,260 in restitution to the victims.
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Reardon was arrested and charged in January 2024 after calling and threatening the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Attleboro and the Congregation Etz Chaim in Sharon. He threatened to bomb Jewish houses of worship and kill all Jewish people, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Time to prepare the furnaces again,” Reardon allegedly stated. “I hope that you people are wiped off the face of the earth.”
Law enforcement learned that between Oct. 7, 2023 and Jan. 29, 2024, Reardon called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times and made numerous expletive-laden antisemitic comments, prosecutors said.
“This sentence holds him accountable for his insidious crimes and should be a warning to others: the FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. Don’t,” Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said in the statement.
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After Reardon pleaded guilty, he was conditionally released “despite the government’s objections,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He allegedly later violated these conditions in February by calling and threatening to harm an employee of RightSpace Self Storage in Upton; he also allegedly threatened to blow up the facility.
Reardon allegedly contacted the storage facility a second time after being instructed by the probation office not to do so, prosecutors said. He has not yet been charged for these alleged additional crimes.
“All Americans have the right to worship freely and without fear — it is a founding principle of our nation.” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in the statement. “Jewish people, in particular, have been targeted and persecuted for centuries, and in recent years we have seen a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic threats and violence. Such vile, hate-driven acts will be met with serious and swift consequences, and we will use every tool we have to hold offenders accountable.”
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