Eight charged in U-M endowment intimidation case

Federal prosecutors on Friday added four new defendants to a criminal intimidation case involving University of Michigan officials, bringing the total number of people charged in the investigation to eight.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit alleges the group targeted school leaders to pressure the university into cutting financial ties with Israel. Investigators cite several incidents, including the placement of fake bloody corpses in the yard of a board member and the spray-painting of anti-Israel messages at the home of Santa Ono, who served as university president in 2024.

Two of the four new defendants were arrested and are scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Friday. The other two individuals are not currently in custody, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The initial charges were filed in June, nearly five months after reports of threats and vandalism at the homes of university officials and the Jewish Federation of Detroit. U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. stated that the prosecution aims to counter those who terrorize Jews, describing the defendants as the bad guys in the conflict.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, pro-Palestinian protesters have demanded the university’s endowment stop investing in companies with ties to Israel. University officials have stated that less than 0.1% of the total endowment is placed with funds that might include Israeli companies.

John Philo of the Sugar Law Center in Detroit, who represents pro-Palestinian activists in lawsuits against the university, called the federal charges a new low in the criminalization of student opposition to actions in Gaza. He noted that the federal government is pursuing acts traditionally handled by local prosecutors.