NY man in court for attempting to build X-ray gun to kill Muslims, defend Israel

A 51-year-old man from New York State was in court today for conspiracy to assemble an X-ray weapon that would “that would kill Israel’s enemies as they slept,” the Times Union reports.

Glendon Crawford of Providence, New York, allegedly approached two Jewish congregations in 2012 and offered to provide them with “off-the-shelf technology” that could be used to zap Muslims and “help Jews get rid of their enemies.”

Crawford, a former navy veteran and General Electric industrial mechanic was detained by the FBI and has been behind bars since. He faces a number of charges including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, and could face a 25-year jail sentence.

According to prosecutors, Crawford planned to acquire and use the X-ray to “silently eradicate Muslims.”

An administrative assistant at the Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, where Crawford paid a visit in mid-April 2012, testified that Crawford “had a plan to help Jews get rid of their enemies. I told him we don’t really have any direct contact with Israel.”

Another congregation official told the court: “I explained to him that we’re a social services organization. We don’t really have those connections.”