MIAMI, Florida – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has indicted 58-year-old Brian Charles on a charge of mailing threatening communications. Prosecutors say he sent antisemitic letters threatening violence to Jewish organizations and to people protected by the U.S. Secret Service in South Florida.
Charles was staying in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area when he was arrested, according to court records. He made his first court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of North Carolina. After he arrived in the Southern District of Florida, the court ordered him held.
Letters mailed in July
Prosecutors said Charles mailed the letters in July 2026. The recipients were officers and executives of the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, the American Jewish Committee’s Palm Beach office and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Two Secret Service protectees also received letters.
All of the letters went to recipients in the Southern District of Florida. Each one carried the same antisemitic message, including a graphic image and threats of violence against Jewish people, according to the announcement.
Charge and penalty
Charles is charged with mailing threatening communications. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison. An indictment is an accusation, and Charles is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Yara Lorenzo Klukas for the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Field Office Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles announced the case.
FBI Miami is investigating, with help from the U.S. Secret Service. Lorenzo Klukas also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina for its assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.
Follow more South Florida news for updates as the case moves through federal court.