8 tied to University of Michigan indicted for conspiracy to threaten campus leaders, Jewish Federation

A federal grand jury indicted eight people associated with the University of Michigan for allegedly being involved in conspiracies to threaten university leaders, law enforcement officials and businesses. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said the actions under investigation included threats against the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. The investigation involved authorities in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.

"These alleged threats and attempts to terrorize government officials, businesses, and the Jewish Federation are anti-American," said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. in a statement.  

Those named in the indictment are Zainab Aliasgar Hakim, 23, of Canton, Michigan; Amatullah Aliasgar Hakim, 21, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Paige Elizabeth Feyock, 26, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ahmet Kerem Korkaya, 28, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Jonathan Hongru Zou, 22, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Alexander Matthew Sepulveda, 23, of Chicago, Illinois; Mariam Muhammed Odeh, 24, of Dearborn, Michigan; and Colin Hunter Weger, 24, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed that six of the people requested a court-appointed counsel. Additionally, five of the defendants are scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Friday.

Federal authorities said that after the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, multiple people were involved in what officials described as a series of coordinated actions threatening U-M leadership, law enforcement and businesses. 

"In the dead of night, masked and hooded defendants allegedly threw noxious chemicals through the windows of families' homes and taped demand letters to their front doors. At every step they attempted to cover their tracks and delete evidence of their crimes," said Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Field Office. 

On Oct. 20, 2023, a list of demands directed at university leadership was made on social media. 

"Among the demands, they required the University to make a 'full and complete divestment' from Israel and any businesses supporting Israel. Unsatisfied by the University's response, the defendants 'prepared to take action' against the leadership by what they called 'autonomous actions,' which included forcibly entering and occupying University of Michigan buildings, defacing buildings, and blocking and disrupting events on campus. They also posted threats on the internet that included photos of their 'autonomous actions,'" the district attorney's office said.

"As part of the conspiracy, the defendants are alleged to have traveled at night to the targeted homes and businesses. They damaged and defaced homes and businesses with spray-painted messages, threats, and symbols," the district attorney's office continued. "The defendants also left demand notes containing additional threats, caulked doors shut, bike-locked entryways, broke windows, and threw glass jars filled with butyric acid and dye into the homes."

CBS News Detroit reached out to U of M for comment and was referred to the Department of Justice.

The Jewish Federation of Detroit released the following statement:

The Jewish Federation of Detroit applauds the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the FBI, and state and local law enforcement for the investigation leading to the indictment and arrest of eight defendants alleged to have conspired to threaten and intimidate Jewish leaders, businesses, and community institutions as well as law enforcement in our community.

The indictment details a deliberate campaign of intimidation and terror: attacks on private homes, threats to "get" the "kids" of victims, witness intimidation, and the targeting of Jewish institutions, including our own. Many of the alleged threats directly reference the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7, 2023.We are grateful to law enforcement for pursuing this investigation with the seriousness it demands, and we look forward to seeing justice served, sending a clear message that hate, intimidation and antisemitic violence have no place in our community or in our country.

The district attorney's office highlighted that the Jewish Federation Building was vandalized on Oct. 7, 2024, one year after the Hamas attack.

As a result of this investigation, Hakim and Feyock are charged with witness intimidation during the summer of 2024 toward another University of Michigan student "whom they believed may have been cooperating with federal authorities," the district attorney's office said. 

And Sepulveda is charged with destruction of property to prevent seizure. The indictment alleges that he and Zou were involved with a so-called "autonomous action" at the home of the university provost. During that incident, federal authorities said, two glass jars filled with a blue substance and food compost were thrown through the window at the provost's home. 

Before law enforcement could serve a search warrant at Sepulveda's home, the district attorney's office said, an unindicted conspirator warned others about the pending warrant. 

"In response, Sepulveda is alleged to have cleared the contents of his phone and laptop," the district attorney's office said. 

Those who are charged with conspiracy to transmit a threat face up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to tamper with a witness has a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of destruction of property to prevent seizure has a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 

Agencies that were involved in the investigation included FBI Chicago, FBI Milwaukee, University of Michigan Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police, Michigan Intelligence Operations Center and multiple local police departments.