(WWJ) Two Michigan residents are facing charges for allegedly making violent threats against high-profile elected officials, judges and local leaders.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday announced the arraignments of 33-year-old Alicia Choucair of Roseville and 61-year-old Anthony Dekinderen of Lake Orion.
Both were charged under Michigan’s terrorism laws following separate investigations into threats directed at public figures.
Her charges include two counts of False Report or Threat of Terrorism (20-year felonies), one count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (a 20-year felony), and one count of Hate Crime — True Threat (a 2-year felony).
She was given a $20,000 cash or surety bond and is due back in court on September 30.
Anthony Dekinderen of Lake Orion was arraigned on Saturday in Rochester Hills' 52-3 District Court
Prosecutors say Dekinderen sent an email to a Michigan journalist threatening to kill members of the Michigan Supreme Court, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
He faces nine counts of False Report or Threat of Terrorism, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.
Dekinderen is being held on a $5 million bond with a GPS tether requirement and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 28.
In a statement announcing the charges, AG Nessel highlighted the troubling rise in threats aimed at public servants at all levels of government.
"Thousands of Michigan residents answer the call to serve through elected office, be it as the local mayor or in statewide office. Unfortunately, hate crimes and threats of terrorism against officials at all levels of government are becoming increasingly common," Nessel said. "Let these charges serve as a warning that Michigan takes threats of violence very seriously and will prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law."
The Attorney General's Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit — first established in 2019 — has seen a recent wave of reported bias-motivated incidents across the state.
These range from property defacement targeting a Muslim candidate in Dearborn Heights and antisemitic flyer distributions in Berkley, to incidents at religious institutions including Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, the Church of Latter Day Saints in Grand Blanc, and CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne.
State officials are encouraging anyone who witnesses suspicious activity, threats, or hate-motivated behavior to report it immediately to their local police department and follow up with the Department of Attorney General via email at HateCrimes@michigan.gov.
