A 45-year-old Michigan man has been taken into custody by U.S. Marshals after allegedly creating an antisemitic meme that depicted Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard as an Orthodox Jewish man. The arrest, however, stems not from the meme itself but from separate felony stalking charges involving two women, including frightening allegations of death threats and plans to eat one victim’s corpse.
The meme, which showed Sheriff Bouchard with a Star of David on his forehead, sidelocks associated with Orthodox Jewish men, and a yarmulke, was displayed by the sheriff himself during a recent press conference addressing an attack on Temple Israel synagogue in the area. Bouchard used the image as a prop to highlight concerns about rising antisemitism and Jewish hate.
“Some pond scum felt empowered and emboldened enough to put this picture of me up to try to threaten and intimidate me, which of course he didn’t do because I signed up for this,” Sheriff Bouchard said at the press conference, visibly angered by the attempt.
The suspect is expected to face formal charges soon for allegedly terrorizing the two women. Authorities say he sent them thousands of emails over an extended period, including photos of weapons, swords, and even flamethrowers. He is also accused of making direct threats to kill the women and their families, and in one case, threatening to eat one of their corpses.
The allegations against the man have been described as particularly disturbing, with the incidents reportedly occurring in Livingston County, where he is expected to be arraigned in the coming days. Some social media users had initially framed the arrest as an attack on First Amendment rights related to the meme, but officials have clarified that the custody was based on the outstanding stalking warrants.
Sheriff Bouchard’s office has emphasized that the meme was shown solely to illustrate the broader issue of antisemitism following the Temple Israel incident, not as the basis for the arrest.
The case continues to develop, with formal charges anticipated shortly in Livingston County. Authorities remain focused on the serious nature of the stalking and threat allegations.
