Extradited to the U.S.: The Man Known as the "Ashkelon Hacker" Could Face 35 Years in Prison

Michael Kedar, a 27-year-old Israeli-American citizen known as the "Ashkelon Hacker," appeared yesterday (Monday) in a court in Orlando, Florida, for the reading of a serious indictment accusing him of hate crimes and threats against Jewish institutions in the United States. The hearing took place just days after he was extradited to the U.S. from Norway, where he had been arrested at the request of American authorities.

The extradition was carried out on June 18, after Kedar finished serving a prison sentence in Israel for similar offenses. According to the indictment filed in Florida, at the beginning of 2017 Kedar made a series of phone calls to Jewish community centers and schools across the country, during which he threatened to plant bombs and carry out shootings at educational institutions.

According to prosecutors, the threats caused major disruptions to the operations of the affected institutions. Buildings were evacuated, and in many cases temporary lockdowns were imposed out of concern that the threats might be carried out. American authorities say his actions significantly harmed the sense of security of the Jewish community and the broader public.

The Florida case is not the only one Kedar is facing in the United States. In addition, he is standing trial in Washington over threats that, according to the charges, were directed at the Israeli Embassy and the offices of the Anti-Defamation League. In Georgia, he is also accused of making false reports to police about a hostage incident.

The U.S. Department of Justice said it is grateful to the authorities in Norway for the cooperation that led to Kedar’s extradition. If convicted, he is expected to face substantial prison time. The hate crime charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, bomb threat offenses could bring a sentence of up to 10 years, and the interstate threat charges carry a penalty of up to five years.

Before that, Kedar was the subject of a wide-ranging criminal case in Israel. At least 19 charges were filed against him, and after he admitted to some of them, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Later, following an appeal to the Supreme Court, his sentence was reduced to seven years.

After his release from prison in Israel, Kedar left the country. He flew to Malta, continued to London, and eventually arrived in Oslo, Norway. But the international arrest warrant issued against him led to his arrest there as well. The first attempt to extradite him to the United States ran into difficulties after a court in Norway accepted the arguments made by his family and lawyer that he was unfit to stand trial. Even so, American authorities continued their efforts, and in the end the extradition was completed and he was transferred to the United States to stand trial.