Indictments in Michigan anti-Israel probe expand to 12 after four new charges

Federal prosecutors in Eastern Michigan expanded the scope of a terror plot case on Friday by charging four additional individuals. The move brings the total number of accused conspirators in the University of Michigan probe to 12. Two of the newly named suspects remain at large.

The case centers on a group of pro-Palestinian activists accused of targeting university leadership, law enforcement, and local businesses with perceived ties to Israel. Mariam Odeh, 24, was one of the first eight defendants indicted in June. She is charged with conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate and foreign commerce, a federal offense carrying a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Odeh worked for the campaign of state Senator Raphael El-Sayed in Michigan. Records obtained by The Detroit News indicate the campaign paid her twice during her tenure. Roxie Richner, a spokesperson for the El-Sayed campaign, confirmed that Odeh served as an hourly employee for two weeks. She departed the role on April 15 after earning approximately $750.

Prosecutors allege the group planned a sustained campaign of harassment to force the university to sever its institutional ties with Israel. The alleged actions included vandalizing the homes of university board members and planting fake corpses on their lawns. The group also spray-painted anti-Israel slogans in front of the residence of the university's then-president.

The indictment details further physical acts of intimidation. The conspirators allegedly broke windows and hurled jars containing noxious chemicals into family residences. They documented these attacks on social media, posting a warning to victims that they could not hide.

The probe also covers a 2024 incident involving Rolls Royce Solutions America, Inc. in Detroit. Prosecutors claim Odeh and other members of the group padlocked the building's doors. They spray-painted the phrases 'FREE PALESTINE' and 'LONG LIVE THE INTIFADA' on the sidewalk outside the facility.

The El-Sayed campaign and Odeh's legal representatives did not return requests for comment before publication. The four new indictments specifically charge the additional defendants with intimidation tactics directed at university leadership and local businesses.