A 22-year-old U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, has been charged by criminal complaint with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce after allegedly telling users on the messaging platform Discord that he planned to attack a synagogue and kill Jewish people, federal prosecutors announced April 23, 2026.
Jakob Marcoulier faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted on the charge, which was filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received an online tip in February 2026 about a Discord user identified as “el.bostino” who had made threats against synagogues. FBI agents secured recorded audio from the platform in which the individual — later identified as Marcoulier — described his alleged plans in graphic detail.
In the recordings, Marcoulier allegedly stated that “after this deployment if the Jews still have reign over our government, I am going to walk into a synagogue with my AK, with a 75-round drum mag, and all of my extra mags, with my level four plates, and my haka helmet that’s three plus, and I am going to kill every single Jew I know inside of that synagogue.” He also allegedly told other users, “you guys will never do anything about but I will,” adding that “you’ll see me in the news.”
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller said the case underscores his office’s commitment to protecting religious freedom. “Threats against synagogues and Jewish Americans are threats to the religious freedom promised to every single one of us,” Keller said in a statement, adding that the charges demonstrate “the FBI’s vigilance and swift action in identifying and taking action against those who perpetrate these threats.”
Jonathan Tapp, special agent in charge of the FBI New Orleans Field Office, credited a concerned citizen with alerting authorities through the FBI’s tip line. “Once the concerned citizen reached out to 1-800-CALL-FBI to report this situation, FBI Special Agents in Birmingham and New Orleans, and our partners in the U.S. Army, acted swiftly,” Tapp said.
The FBI investigated the case alongside the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Nickel is prosecuting the case with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Marcoulier was arrested April 23. A criminal complaint is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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