Michael Ron David Kadar, a 27-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel, was indicted in a Florida federal court on Monday on charges related to a massive wave of bomb threats against Jewish institutions during 2016 and 2017. Following his extradition from Norway on Thursday, the Department of Justice confirmed he faces charges in Florida, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., for hate crimes and obstruction of the free exercise of religion.
What are the charges against Kadar?
The federal indictment accuses Kadar of orchestrating thousands of threatening calls to schools, community centers, hospitals, and airlines. According to the Department of Justice, these acts included hate crimes and obstruction of the free exercise of religion. If convicted on these counts, Kadar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for the hate crime charges and 10 years for the bomb threats. Authorities allege that between December 2016 and March 2017, Kadar used an online service to disguise his voice and identity while targeting locations across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia.
What is the background of the case?
Kadar, known as the “hacker from Ashkelon,” previously served time in an Israeli prison for the same conduct. In June 2018, an Israeli court found him guilty of hundreds of counts of extortion, spreading false information, and money laundering. He was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison, though the sentence was later commuted. During his 2018 sentencing, his legal counsel stated that Kadar suffered from autism and a brain tumor. His parents have maintained that the tumor, present from a young age, caused significant cognitive and psychiatric disorders. Following his release in Israel, Kadar traveled to Norway in 2024 to seek asylum. Norwegian authorities rejected his application and detained him based on the pending U.S. extradition request.
How has the defense characterized his condition?
A central point of contention in this legal saga is Kadar’s mental state. According to a ruling from a Norwegian appeals court, the body stated it “assumes Kadar is mentally incompetent today, and most likely was at the time of the crimes in 2017.” This contrasts with the prosecution’s case, which highlights the sophistication of his methods. Court documents linked Kadar to an advertisement on the illicit marketplace AlphaBay, where he allegedly offered a “School Email Bomb Threat Service” for $30. During interrogations following his 2017 arrest, Kadar claimed he viewed the threats as a “game” and told investigators he was “causing fun.”
What happens next in the legal process?
With his extradition to the United States complete, Kadar is set to face trial in multiple jurisdictions, including Florida, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. Given the international scope of his alleged activities, legal proceedings will likely focus on his competency and the extent of his criminal culpability. While the Norwegian court expressed doubts regarding his mental state, the U.S. federal indictment will move forward with charges that carry significant potential prison time. Future proceedings may involve extensive testimony regarding the impact of his actions, which included scrambling fighter jets and causing emergency landings for commercial aircraft.
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