More: White supremacist fundraising, anti-Semitic incidents. It’s USA TODAY’s Extremism Week.
Jamesburg police, FBI search for man wanted in Jan. 6 riots
The FBI said in a statement that it was seeking Gregory Yetman, wanted in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Cheddar – News 12
Authorities continue to search the woods of Middlesex County, New Jersey, for Gregory Yetman, who escaped after federal and local police attempted to arrest him in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Yetman was identified during a March USA TODAY investigation on those wanted in the Capitol riot. Meanwhile, a video streaming site has become a haven for white supremacists, according to a new report. And anti-Semitic and other hate-fueled incidents continue across the country.
It’s extremism week.
Manhunt continues for January 6 fugitive
Gregory Yetman remained at large Thursday evening, despite a massive manhunt in his home state of New Jersey. FBI agents and local SWAT teams had attempted to execute an arrest warrant Wednesday at Yetman’s home in Helmetta before he fled into the woods near his home.
The FBI released a “Wanted” poster for Yetman on Thursday, listing his alleged crimes, including assaults on officers, obstruction of law enforcement and physical violence on Capitol grounds. The FBI also set a $10,000 reward for information leading to Yetman’s arrest.
- USA TODAY publicly identified Yetman in March in an investigation into people whose photographs were on the FBI’s wanted list during the Capitol riot. Many of them have been publicly identified but have never been arrested or charged.
- Videos from the day showed suspect No. 278 spraying pepper spray at police and protesters during the riot. A group of online detectives sent the FBI a file identifying Yetman as suspect No. 278 on the bureau’s wanted list for Jan. 6 in early 2022.
- Yetman acknowledged to USA TODAY that he had been at the Capitol, but denied any wrongdoing. He said he was interviewed by the FBI shortly afterward and said, “Everything has been resolved, everything is fine.”
- Yetman escaped FBI agents and local police Wednesday morning. THURSDAY, my Central Jersey reported that Yetman was also charged locally in New Jersey with fourth-degree possession of large capacity ammunition.
Yetman did not respond to calls or text messages sent to his cell phone throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday. The search continues and the FBI has pledged to stay in the county until Yetman was captured. Anyone with information is asked to call 973-792-3000.
Video sharing site Odysee a haven for white supremacy: report
Video sharing and streaming website Odysee has becoming a go-to platform for white supremacists and other extremists, who used the site to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, concludes a report released this week by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project.
- Odysee, which works similarly to YouTube, was designed to share funds through a cryptocurrency whose value has recently collapsed, calling the website’s future into question, the report said.
- SPLC researchers tracked donations to 165 extremist channels from April 24, 2021, to August 31 of this year, finding that 113 of these channels raised a total of $336,000 on the platform.
- The new SPLC report is the first in a series of reports on digital threats targeting so-called “alternative technology” platforms favored by white supremacists and other extremists.
“What I really wanted to do was focus on the technology and the platforms that are missing out – they enable extremism and fundraising, but people may not be aware of what ‘they do,’ Megan Squire, SPLC deputy director of data. analytical, told USA TODAY.
Anti-Semitic incidents continue across the country
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, hate-fueled incidents continue in the United States. Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that anti-Semitism was reaching “historic levels.” THE death of an old Jewish man at a rally in California, tensions rose further.
- On Monday, a Jewish man involved in an altercation during a protest against the war between Israel and Hamas died after falling and hitting his head on the ground, authorities said. The local sheriff’s office has not ruled out a hate crime in the incident.
- On Tuesday, Jeffrey Mindock of Tempe, Ariz., was arrested by federal agents for sending an email threatening to execute a local rabbi. Mindock allegedly sent the threat in an attempt to get the rabbi to persuade a judge in Utah, where Mindock has another court case.
- New York City, home to the nation’s largest Jewish population, reported a 214% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes in October compared to the same month in 2022, The attacker reported.
Statistic of the week: 70%
This is why many American Jews feel less safe today than they did a few months ago, before the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a recent poll by Jewish Federations of America.