Beverly man charged with antisemitic threats and illegal gun possession

A Beverly man is charged with making violent antisemitic threats online and illegally possessing a number of weapons.

Matthew Scouras, 34, allegedly made threats online about raping Jewish women, and encouraged others to shoot people outside of synagogues, Beverly police said in a statement.

Beverly police searched his Essex Street home after the FBI National Threat Operations Center notified the department of Scouras' online activity. Authorities discovered a “ghost gun” with no serial number, parts to build more guns, three large-capacity magazines, six boxes of ammunition and 11 lower receivers for various rifles in his bedroom. They also found a Nazi flag and $70,000 in cash.

He was taken into custody without incident on Saturday and police said they were performing a mental health evaluation.

On Monday, Beverly police charged Scouras with 12 counts of firearm possession without a license, illegal ammunition possession, possession of a large capacity magazine, improper firearm storage, threats to destroy a place of worship, willful communication of a gun threat and making a gun without a serial number.

Scouras is being held without bail, pending a detention hearing next week.

There was a 70% increase in reports of anti-Jewish hate crimes from 2022 to 2023 in Massachusetts, according to the state's Office of Public Safety and Security. (Data from 2024 is not yet available.)

Peggy Shukar, regional vice president with the Jewish advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League, said she's not surprised at the trend, but the rising number of incidents and hate crimes are concerning.

“People have told me they feel shattered to the core,” Shukur added.

She wants to remind people that a lot of synagogues have taken security precautions to ensure congregants' safety amid the increase of attacks and threats.

“Though the calls to action that this individual allegedly made weren't carried out, it still affects the sense of safety and security that people have,” she said.