COLUMBUS, Ohio– In federal court, a former Columbus man was sentenced to six months in prison, a $50,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for criminally interfering with the right to fair housing. The defendant was charged with making anti-Semitic threats to his neighbors.
Douglas G. Schifer, 66, now living in Bucyrus, threatened neighbors and their guests on Nov. 7, 2020, at an outdoor event at the neighbors’ home.
Schifer was charged with interfering with the right to fair housing in a federal criminal complaint in March and pled guilty in June.
According to court filings, Schifer said, among other things, “all you f***ing people, it’s no wonder Hitler burnt you people in ovens,” “f***ing Hitler should have gassed you,” and “Jews burn, you deserve in ovens.”
Records show, Schifer also told his neighbors, “I will poison your dog if it doesn’t stop barking.”
Schifer admitted to investigators that he threatened to shoot the neighbors and their dog and to “burn down” the garage the neighbors were remodeling.
Douglas Schifer was also accused of breaking one of their windows and spitting on them.
