United States of America v. Michael Shapiro

Detroit, Michigan criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Making Hate Crime Threats against The Council on American-Islamic Relations

Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Hate Crime Threats against The Council on American-Islamic Relations ("CAIR”) Michigan Chapter

Michael Shapiro, 73, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for issuing death threats to the Council on American-Islamic Relations ("CAIR”) Michigan Chapter, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.



Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chad Baugh, Chief of the Canton Police Department.



According to court documents, Shapiro, of West Palm Beach, Florida, placed three separate phone calls to CAIR's office located in Canton, Michigan, and left voicemails containing the following threats:



December 8, 2023: "I'm going to kill you bastards. I'm going to kill you bastards.”



December 14, 2023: ""I'm going to kill you mother f*****g bastards. Muslims! I'm going to kill you mother f*****s. I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!”



December 15, 2023: "You're a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother f*****s. You're violent. You're killers. You're rapists. I'm going to kill you mother f*****s!”



Shapiro pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024 to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Shapiro also admitted that he intentionally selected CAIR as the victim of his threat because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of the people who work at and are assisted by CAIR.



"No one should be able to instill fear on an entire community by threatening violence. Today's sentence sends a strong message that people who do so, especially when motivated by bias, will be aggressively prosecuted and severely punished, ” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.



"Today's sentencing of Michael Shapiro highlights the severe consequences of hate-driven threats and sends a strong message to others with similar malicious intentions," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "The FBI in Michigan remains committed to investigating and dismantling individuals or groups that sow fear and hatred within our communities. Mr. Shapiro's sentence serves as a stark reminder of our critical role in investigating federal hate crimes. We are dedicated to fostering positive relationships with our community, including faith-based organizations. In partnership with the Canton Police Department and the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, we have ensured justice was served by holding Mr. Shapiro accountable for his actions.”



This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.