A Jewish-American man has been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for his alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt, sparking controversy and alleged conspiracy theories about possible connections to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, a native of Washington DC and father of three, was one of 37 individuals sentenced to death by a military tribunal in Kinshasa for their roles in the botched coup on 19 May. The attempted coup, led by Christian Malanga, a used car salesman and gold miner, aimed to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi’s government.

Amidst the legal proceedings, social media users have circulated photos alleging Zalman-Polun had ties to the CIA and Mossad. These allegations stem from a photograph showing Zalman-Polun and Malanga outside the Golan Spy Shop, a technology and security supply store in Tel Aviv.