In March, Breitbart Texas reported on 33-year-old Dante Phearse, a man accused of making threatening phone calls to two Houston-based synagogues, a courthouse, and a marketing firm. On March 27, he was indicted with two civil rights violations and four counts of threatening to kill people and explode a building. A recent FBI press release stated that Phearse pled guilty to making a bomb threat via phone to a synagogue called Congregation Beth Israel.
On April 30, 2013, Phearse made the phone calls in question from a room in a Houston Red Carpet Inn. In a voicemail to Congregation Beth Israel, Phearse promised to bomb the building on May 2, 2013. According to a plea agreement obtained by Breitbart Texas, the 33-year-old left the following voice mail for the synagogue:
“Yes, hello, um, I was just wondering when you’re going to actually stop lying to the people, you know, we been helping you Jews for a long time, you know, the Shriners, and we been considering the fact the people that blacks are the direct descendants of God we know there is no such thing as a white Jew. Jews out there in Jerusalem all those (unintelligible)…they’re black we know that Jews are over the media over a lot of things y’all staged these bomb attacks is a lie, saying this is an Islamic terrorist group, you know, we are not supporting you Jews anymore; we’re tired of lying to you the Masons and Eastern Stars we are a Satanist group, we just, we using you Jews for money; we know that you’ve been teaching the fact that blacks are cursed that’s why they have long penises; we all know they are the real chosen people. If you don’t stop and tell your students the truth, we will be forced to bomb your facility, I’m sorry about this, but we will be forced to bomb your facility on May 2nd, we’re Masons; the Illuminati is the one who is going to take over.”
As a result of the message, Beth Israel was closed down for one day and extra security was hired to guard the premises.
Phearse also reportedly left threatening voice mails for a second synagogue called Congregation or Ami, as well as the City of Houston Municipal Courts building and Adams Resources Marketing, a company that has since gone out of business.
FBI Special Agent Alfred T. Tribble was able to trace the calls to the Red Carpet Inn, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Breitbart Texas. The Red Carpet Inn informed Tribble that Phearse stayed in the room that night, and left the following morning without paying his bill. Hotel staff described the suspect as a black male in a wheel chair with one leg.
The plea agreement further stated that Phearse originally had six counts against him; by pleading guilty to Count 1 and Count 2, Obstructions of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs and Threats to Damage Property, Counts 3 through 6 were dropped.
Dena Marks, Associate Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Southwest regional office, said her organization served as a liaison between the synagogues and law enforcement in Phearse’s case.
“The congregations reached out to us,” she told Breitbart Texas. “We then contacted specific people in law enforcement that we thought could be helpful in the case. ADL provides security to Jewish institutions.”
She said there are no indications that the suspect is a member of any hate group.
The two synagogues told Breitbart Texas that comments could not be made, since the investigation was still underway.
Phearse is currently in custody, where he awaits his July sentencing. According to the FBI, he could face 30 years in federal prison.
Phearse Plea by BreitbartTexas
Dante Indictment by BreitbartTexas
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
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