Neo-Nazi Convicted of Sending Antisemitic Threats to Georgia Rabbi and State Representative
MACON, Ga. – A neo-Nazi from North Carolina has been convicted in federal court for mailing antisemitic threats to Georgia’s only Jewish State House Representative and a Temple Beth Israel Rabbi. The threats followed the women’s public support for Georgia House Bill 30, the state’s first law defining antisemitism.
Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 32, of High Point, North Carolina, was found guilty on November 4 of mailing threatening communications with a hate crime enhancement after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Ramos faces up to five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026.
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes said, “The defendant was not exercising his free speech when he mailed antisemitic postcards to Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar and Georgia House Representative Esther Panitch—this neo-Nazi delivered a true threat to life and liberty. Antisemitic threats and all threats against federally protected freedoms will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown added, “No person and no community should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. The conviction of Ariel E. Collazo Ramos shows the FBI’s commitment to root out these threats and ensure all people are protected in the expression of their faith.”
Court documents and trial testimony revealed that in January 2024, Rabbi Bahar testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in support of HB 30, co-sponsored by Rep. Panitch. The bill was signed into law on January 31, 2024. That same day, Rep. Panitch received a threatening postcard at her home, followed by an identical postcard to Rabbi Bahar the next day. Both women testified at trial about the safety precautions they took after receiving the threats, which referenced Zyklon B and included antisemitic imagery.
Ramos operated “Patriot Candle Company,” selling products with white nationalist and antisemitic themes. The FBI investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Keyes with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
The conviction underscores federal authorities’ commitment to prosecuting hate crimes and protecting civil rights.
