A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Utah man with multiple federal crimes including possession of an unregistered destructive device, threat to kill and injure persons and to destroy a building with an explosive, and attempting to commit a hate crime, among other charges, after threats were allegedly made online relating to a Utah synagogue in December 2025.

"Today's indictment stops in its tracks an alleged plan to carry out a violent attack on a synagogue," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Department of Justice will take decisive action to protect American worshippers from violent threats, no matter where they occur."

"There is no place for hate-motivated violence - attempts or otherwise - in our communities. A place of worship should be a refuge of safety, not fear," said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. "Thanks to the dedicated work of the FBI and the outstanding efforts of our local police partners, these alleged threats were identified and stopped before anyone was harmed. Their coordination and rapid response exemplify the professionalism and commitment of law enforcement at every level. Let these charges serve as a clear warning: if you attack or attempt to attack a place of worship, you will face the full force of the federal government."

"No one should have to fear for their safety because of their faith. Every person deserves to worship freely, without threats, intimidation, or fear," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. "The FBI takes every threat seriously. Thanks to the swift, seamless collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we were able to address the threat and protect lives from potential physical harm."

"No single agency has every piece of information or every resource needed to address threats of this magnitude," said Chief of Police Jake Sube of the Ogden City Police Department. "This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local partners share information, work together, and act quickly to protect the public."

Skyler AJ Rose, 22, of Ogden, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 21. His initial appearance is scheduled for Oct. 23, at 1:30 PM in courtroom 8.4 at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

According to allegations in court documents, on Dec. 23, 2025, a user on a social media platform, later identified as Rose, made multiple threatening posts. One of the threats included, "I wanna blow up a synagogue." The investigation revealed the posts were made from an IP address tracing back to the home where Rose resided. Due to the nature of the online threats, FBI contacted Ogden City Police Department to assist with visiting the defendant's home and confirmed the social media handle belonged to Rose. During an executed search warrant, law enforcement recovered six improvised explosive pipe bombs and one inert device, explosive precursors and components which could be used to construct further improvised explosive pipe bombs, a black Samsung cellphone, and two rifles with accompanying magazines and ammunition.

As stated in court documents, a subsequent search warrant was obtained by law enforcement to search Rose's Samsung cellphone, which revealed that in November 2025, Rose searched for a synagogue near him using the internet. The investigation further revealed that Rose's Samsung cellphone allegedly contained evidence of child sexual abuse material, and hundreds of cached images and screenshots depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Ogden City Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Utah Department of Public Safey, Davis County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, Weber County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Weber County Attorney's Office.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Auchter for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.