A 34-year-old man who reportedly had a cache of guns and a Nazi flag in his home has been arrested after allegedly posting threats to rape Jewish women and inciting others to shoot people outside synagogues.
Beverly man Matthew Scouras, who was busted following a tip from the feds, is accused of making “frightening and disturbing threats targeting the Jewish community.”
The FBI National Threat Operations Center last week alerted Beverly Police about a resident posting several threats against people of Jewish faith on a website.
The feds told Beverly PD that a person — at 527 Essex St. — posted threats to rape Jewish women and urged other users of the site to shoot people outside of synagogues.
The Anti-Defamation League said this incident is a “grim reminder of hatred and threats targeting the Jewish community.”
“We are grateful to the Beverly Police Department for their swift investigation and subsequent arrest of a Beverly man on numerous firearms charges and inciting others online to commit acts of violence against Jewish women and shoot people outside of synagogues,” Peggy Shukur, VP of the Anti-Defamation League’s East Division, said in a statement.
“The frightening and disturbing threats targeting the Jewish community allegedly made by this individual coupled with a cache of firearms and Nazi flag found at his home suggest that a far more devastating outcome may have been averted,” Shukur added.