Massachusetts man accused of threatening to rape Jewish women and encouraged others to shoot people outside of synagogues arrested on gun and other charges

A Massachusetts man was arrested and charged with numerous firearms charges and inciting others online to shoot people outside of synagogues.

According to Chief John LeLacheur on Thursday, the Beverly Police Department was notified by the FBI National Threat Operations Center that an individual with an address in Beverly posted several threats against people of Jewish faith on an internet image board.

According to information provided by the FBI, an individual at 527 Essex St. posted threats to rape Jewish women and encouraged other users of the site to shoot people outside of synagogues.

After an initial visit to the home, police obtained a search warrant for the home from Salem District Court. 34-year-old Matthew Scouras of Beverly was taken into custody and held for a mental health evaluation.

The search located numerous items in a bedroom occupied by Scouras, including a cellular telephone, two desktop computers, a Nazi flag, a 9mm Glock “ghost gun” with no serial number, six boxes of ammunition, three large-capacity rifle magazines, 11 lower receivers for various rifles, other firearm parts, scopes, pistol frames, a jig used for drilling holes into polymer pistol handles, rifle stocks, and more than $70,000 in cash.

Under the most recent update to Massachusetts firearms laws, each lower receiver is legally considered to be a different gun.

A warrant was obtained for Scouras‘ arrest, and he was taken into custody without incident Saturday.

Scouras was arrested and charged with Possession of a Firearm without a License (12 Counts), Illegal Possession of Ammunition, Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device, Improper Storage of a Firearm, Threats to Destroy a Place of Worship, Willful Communication of a Threat with a Dangerous Item (a Firearm), and Making of a Firearm Without a Serial Number.

He was arraigned Monday and is being held without bail pending a detention hearing Jan. 13.