UMVA has learned that a massive crackdown on pro-Hamas radicals has resulted in the arrest of seven out of eight individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit. The charges stem from a coordinated, year-long campaign of violent intimidation, vandalism, and death threats aimed at forcing the University of Michigan to sever all ties with Israel.
The 10-count federal indictment charges the eight college-aged defendants — all in their 20s and tied to the University of Michigan — with conspiracy to transmit threats, witness intimidation, and destruction of property. Their reign of terror began immediately after the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre and continued into 2025.
According to information obtained by UMVA, prosecutors say the suspects spray-painted homes with slogans such as “Intifada” and “Free Palestine,” left threatening messages at private residences, vandalized businesses, and targeted the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Symbols associated with Hamas, including red inverted triangles and red handprints, were used to mark victims and amplify threats.
In one of the most shocking incidents, activists allegedly placed fake bloody corpses on the lawn of a University of Michigan regent. Other attacks reportedly included vandalizing the homes of university officials and throwing containers through residential windows.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that authorities also allege the defendants deliberately chose the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack to engage in some of their most visible criminal acts. This included one subject who specifically targeted the Bloomfield Township Jewish Federation on October 7, 2024, and another subject — employed by the University — who vandalized the University President’s home.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the alleged criminal targeting occurred for over a year — beginning approximately March 2024 and continuing until April 2025. The FBI Detroit and partners pursued a thorough, detailed investigation of this case, and subjects have been charged for their alleged role in conspiracies to transmit threats in interstate and foreign commerce.
The indictment also charges Zainab Aliasgar Hakim and Paige Elizabeth Feyock with witness intimidation. In July and August 2024, Hakim and Feyock devised a plan to confront a University of Michigan student they believed may have been cooperating with federal authorities.
Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry severe penalties, including up to 20 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to $250,000. The investigation involved a multi-state operation, leading to the arrests of numerous defendants across Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
The crackdown was a result of exceptional work by the dedicated FBI Detroit team, alongside partners from various law enforcement agencies. The collaboration made this operation possible, and those involved in coordinated campaigns of threats and intimidation have been held fully accountable under federal law.
