Joseph Neumeyer, 28, charged with trying to firebomb U.S. embassy building in Israel, Brooklyn federal prosecutors say

A Colorado man who allegedly attempted to firebomb a branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Israel and also allegedly threatened to kill President Donald Trump appeared in Brooklyn federal court Sunday, court records show.

Joseph Neumeyer, 28, a dual U.S.-German citizen, was charged with attempting to destroy the federal building in Tel Aviv during his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo at the Eastern District courthouse. He was ordered detained pending trial, prosecutors said in a news release.

"Neumeyer, armed with potentially lethal devices, sought to cause chaos and destruction," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.

Prosecutors said a backpack Neumeyer left outside the branch office on May 19, following an altercation with a guard, contained several Molotov cocktails. Earlier that day, Neumeyer allegedly posted on Facebook his plans to burn the branch office down, inviting others to join him, court records show.

Neumeyer allegedly spit on a guard outside the building upon his arrival shortly after 1 p.m. May 19 and cursed at him before the guard grabbed him by his backpack as he managed to break free and flee the scene, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Sunday.

Israel national police said the bottles in Neumeyer’s backpack contained ethanol, court records show. Police used surveillance photos from the scene to track Neumeyer to a hotel five blocks from the embassy, where employees confirmed he was a guest, investigators said. He had been staying in Israel since April, according to the complaint. The main U.S. Embassy compound in Israel is in Jerusalem; the Tel Aviv branch office offers services as well. 

The FBI is also investigating several social media threats to kill Trump that Neumeyer allegedly made in recent months, court records show. Trump adviser Elon Musk and Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott were also targeted in alleged threats that remained posted on Neumeyer’s publicly visible Facebook page, according to the complaint.

Neumeyer was brought from Tel Aviv to New York City on Sunday morning to face charges, court records show.

"This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

Attorney Jeff Dahlberg, of Federal Defenders of New York in Brooklyn, who represented Neumeyer on Sunday, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Neumeyer, who is not affiliated with any political party, last voted in the November 2022 elections, according to publicly available voting records. He was most recently registered to vote in Denver in 2023.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.