Four Arrested in Michigan Campaign Targeting University Leaders

Federal prosecutors in Detroit charged four additional individuals on Friday for their roles in a criminal campaign aimed at University of Michigan officials. The new indictment expands the legal case to include those accused of intimidating leaders to force the institution to sever financial connections with Israel.

The federal case now encompasses twelve defendants in total. Eight pro-Palestinian activists were charged with conspiracy in June. All eight of those initial defendants have entered not guilty pleas. The indictment describes a pattern of threats and property damage directed at university administrators, local businesses, and the Jewish Federation of Detroit.

Investigators documented specific incidents over several years. These acts included placing fake bloody corpses in the yard of a university board member. In 2024, anti-Israel messages were spray-painted on the residence of Santa Ono, who served as school president during that period. The legal action seeks to hold the new defendants accountable for their participation in these coordinated acts.

U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. addressed the charges, stating that the campaign targeted individuals who he described as terrorizing Jews. He noted that the group's actions ranged from historical references to modern conflict. Two of the four new defendants were taken into custody and scheduled for their first court appearance on Friday. The other two individuals remained out of custody at the time of the announcement.

The conflict stems from demands by pro-Palestinian protesters since the Israel-Hamas war began. Activists have pushed for the university to stop investing its endowment in companies with Israeli ties. University officials maintain that less than 0.1% of the total endowment is placed with funds that might include such companies. A pro-Palestinian camp on campus was cleared by police in 2024 after being open for one month, a move the university justified as a public safety measure.