A North Carolina man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sending antisemitic threats to Georgia State Representative Esther Panitch and Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel in Macon. The sentencing follows a conviction for mailing threatening communications with a hate crime enhancement.
Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 32, from High Point, North Carolina, received the statutory maximum sentence of 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was found guilty after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on November 4, 2025. Federal law does not allow parole.
“Let me be clear: individuals like this defendant will face federal prosecution for criminal acts driven by hatred,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case underscores that crimes rooted in antisemitism and any hate crime against race, religion, or protected groups, will be prioritized. Law enforcement stands with the Macon community to unite against hatred, and we will use the justice system to hold offenders accountable.”
“Hate has no place in our society,” said FBI Atlanta Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) Robert Gibbs of the Macon Resident Agency. “Today’s sentencing of neo-Nazi Ariel Ramos reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting civil rights and sends a clear message that threats based on faith or identity will not be tolerated.”
Court documents show that in 2023, a neo-Nazi group gathered outside Temple Beth Israel during Sabbath observance. In January 2024, Rabbi Bahar testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee supporting House Bill 30, which defines antisemitism under state law. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Panitch—the only Jewish member of Georgia’s House—and signed into law on January 31, 2024.
On the day the bill was signed, Rep. Panitch received an antisemitic postcard at her home from Ramos; Rabbi Bahar received an identical postcard at her home one day later. Both postcards included threatening language referencing Zyklon B—a chemical used by Nazis during the Holocaust—and contained offensive imagery targeting Jews.
Ramos operated out of his home selling products featuring racist and white nationalist themes at the time he sent these threats.
Both recipients testified about measures they took for their safety after receiving the postcards; both have family members who were murdered during the Holocaust using Zyklon B.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Will Keyes with support from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
