Orange County man federally indicted for making online threats at Merriam-Webster over gender term definitions

An Orange County man was federally indicted Thursday for a series of online threats targeted at Merriam-Webster's Dictionary after the company opted to change the definitions of gender specific terms. 

Rossmoor resident Jeremy David Hanson, 34, was arrested and charged in late April, after an investigation from several law enforcement agencies including the FBI found that he had made threats not only to the well-known dictionary company, but to several other brands. 

As detailed in a public release from the Department of Justice, Hanson was "indicted on one count of interstate communication of threatening communications to commit violence."

The threats, which were made in Oct. 2021, caused the Merriam-Webster offices in both Springfield, Mass. and New York to close for five days.

Hanson must appear in court again on May 13, 2022 in Springfield.  

The initial threats were made in regards to the dictionary's change to the words "girl" and "woman."

One of the threats was sent via their "Contact Us" page, where he said, ""It is absolutely sickening that Merriam-Webster now tells blatant lies and promotes anti-science propaganda. There is no such thing as 'gender identity.' The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot."

A second message read as, "The moron who created this fake definition should be hunted down and shot. I am sick and tired of these cultural Marxists denying science and destroying the English Language. Merriam-Webster headquarters should be shot and bombed. Boys aren't girls."

And again, a third message was sent less than a week later which said, "I am going to shoot up and bomb your offices for lying and creating fake definitions in order to pander to the tranny mafia. Boys aren't girls, and girls aren't boys. The only good Marxist is a dead Marxist. I will assassinate your top editor. You sickening, vile tranny freaks."

In response, United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins said, "We believe Mr. Hanson, motivated by hate and veiled by the assumed anonymity of the internet, made numerous threats of violence to instill fear in our communities. Hateful and bigoted activity, like the conduct alleged here, is destructive on so many levels and will not be tolerated. Every individual has a right to feel safe in their community. My office will continue its relentless pursuit of those who seek to threaten, intimidate and divide us and hold them accountable."

The investigation also revealed that Merriam-Webster wasn't the lone recipient of threats made by Hanson, as he has also sent a series of online threats to:

• two professors at Loyola Marymount University,
• the American Civil Liberties Union, 
• Amnesty International,
• Land O Lakes,
• Hasbro Inc., 
• IGN Entertainment, 
• the President of the University of North Texas,
• a New York City rabbi.