Florida Man Indicted for Interstate Threats Made While Living in Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland - Today, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland unsealed an indictment, charging Arsham Rashidi Dizajgan, 27, of Gainesville, Florida, with six counts of transmitting in interstate or foreign commerce a threat to injure another person. Law enforcement arrested Dizajgan today in Gainesville.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley, FBI - Jacksonville Field Office; Police Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD); and Chief of Police Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department (GPD).

"Threats to the safety and security of American citizens will not be tolerated, particularly when such threats adopt the language and tactics of violent extremists and foreign terrorist organizations," Hayes said. "We will investigate and prosecute such violations to the fullest extent of the law."

"The FBI takes all threats seriously and will investigate each and every potential threat brought to our attention," Paul said. "Swift collaboration between the FBI's Baltimore and Jacksonville Field Offices, as well as the Anne Arundel County and Gainesville Police Departments, led to this arrest. We continue to encourage the public to report any concerning messages to law enforcement."

"This arrest reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities," Carley said. "When an individual uses social media to issue violent threats and signals support for a foreign terrorist organization, the FBI will hold that individual accountable. We take these threats seriously and will move quickly to ensure online rhetoric does not turn into real-world harm."

As alleged in the indictment, in widely disseminated propaganda videos, Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, uses upside-down red triangles to mark targets just before they are attacked. Beginning in about September 2024, and continuing through March 2025 - while living in Arnold, Maryland - Dizajgan used the social media platform TikTok to post photographs and videos of Americans with upside-down red triangles over their heads, along with threatening comments. During the same time frame, Dizajgan also used his TikTok account to post photographs, videos, and comments condemning Americans and non-Muslims and celebrating violence against them.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, AACOPD, and GPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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