King County prosecutors charged a Seattle man with a hate-crime offense after authorities say he left antisemitic voicemails, including threats, on the phone line of Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle, a Reform synagogue founded in 1899.
In a complaint and police report shared with JNS, filed on Dec. 17 in King County Superior Court, prosecuting attorney Leesa Manion alleged that Joshua Cole Scott, 30, “maliciously and intentionally” acted “in whole or in part because of his perception of the religion of another.”
Scott allegedly called the synagogue’s main line on Dec. 12 and left two voicemails containing anti-Jewish hate speech, the second including threats to kill. The police report references a “1 minute and 40 seconds” voicemail rant in which Cole said “little f**king Jews” and “Americans now are done with you.”
Scott also allegedly said “F**k Chanukah” and ended the first voicemail with “Merry Christmas b*tch.”
The second voicemail, left nearly four minutes after the first, “sounded angrier,” according to the Seattle Police Department report. Scott allegedly said, “When I find you, I’m going to f**king murder you,” and “6 million isn’t going to be enough, by the way, you f**king Jew rat. Six million is gonna be a f**king starter pack.”
Police phoned Scott, who called them back and laughed when told why, according to the police. When officers went to Scott’s residence, he reportedly said, “Brother, I don’t even remember the crime.” Later, he acknowledged that he “made some comments to the synagogue in a drunken stupor,” per the prosecutors in the case.
He was taken into custody. Scott has “previous arrests for DUI and disorderly conduct,” as per the report, and said he is “a Navy veteran with PTSD and other mental-health issues.”
The court granted prosecutors a no-contact order for Scott with the synagogue and with the woman at the synagogue who operates the phones. He is being held in the King County Jail on $150,000 bail, according to information provided by the prosecutors.
His arraignment is set for Dec. 22 in the King County Courthouse.
