ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Fairburn man made his first federal court appearance Monday after allegedly posting videos of himself making racially charged threats.

Christopher Robertson, 42, who also calls himself James Lomak, was arrested on Aug. 1 after an FBI standoff, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Northern District of Georgia.

Robertson is facing federal charges of communicating interstate threats. A U.S. magistrate judge ordered Robertson held in custody until his next hearing on Thursday.

According to prosecutors, staffers at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta told security officials they saw Robertson wandering around the organization’s parking lot on July 30.

Robertson allegedly told the security staff he was “the official spokesperson for the white race” and he wanted to speak with a high-ranking Jewish official.

After being asked to leave, Robertson allegedly drove to The Temple, a Midtown Atlanta Jewish synagogue. He allegedly told two staff members there that he wanted to speak to a rabbi.

Robertson allegedly made derogatory remarks about Jewish people. An Atlanta police officer was present inside The Temple, and Robertson left.

The FBI, along with the Secure Community Network, discovered several social media accounts used by Robertson that allegedly featured recent antisemitic and threatening video posts.

“It’s not clear to me why he is making these threats,” said Theodore Hertzberg, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “There is no valid explanation for these threats. Threats to kill; threats to murder; threats to destroy; threats to put Jews in the oven; there is no reason for any of that.”

On July 31, Robertson allegedly entered a Jewish Chabad building in Peachtree City after posting a threatening video.

Rabbi Yossi Lew said Robertson made an appointment to talk about theology.

“I have a lot of people who come all the time, Jews and non Jews to talk,” Lew said. “They talk about the Bible; they talk about theology; they talk about religion; they talk about God.”

Unaware of the video initially, Lew said his daughter had alerted him to it. He eventually called 911 while members of the staff barricaded themselves in an office. However, the Rabbi said he still agreed to meet with Robertson with police present.

Robertson “introduced himself as the empire for the white people of something and then he just let go, and he launched into the Jews,” Lew said. “And he couldn’t calm down. He was screaming, he was threatening.”

Police escorted Robertson out of the synagogue with a criminal trespass warning.

On Aug. 1, Robertson allegedly posted yet another video to Facebook. Later that evening, a federal court issued a warrant for his arrest.

“Thankfully we don’t see it all the time but we are seeing more of this,” said Hertzberg. “Antisemitism is on the rise and these threats are unacceptable. We have zero tolerance for this sort of behavior, we take it very seriously and we will prosecute it aggressively.”

When the FBI tried to arrest him at home, Robertson barricaded himself inside for hours. Eventually, Robertson surrendered and agents said they recovered a firearm from the scene.

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