A federal jury convicted a Michigan man Thursday for conspiring with others and defacing Temple Jacob, a Jewish synagogue in Hancock, with swastikas and symbols associated with The Base, a multi-state, white supremacist group.
Nathan Weeden, 23, of Houghton, was convicted of one count of conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in the exercise of their rights and one count of intentionally defacing, damaging, or destroying religious property because of the race or ethnic, characteristics of individuals associated with that property.
Weeden’s co-conspirators, Richard Tobin of New Jersey and Yousef Barasneh of Wisconsin, both previously pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to the incident. Barasneh testified in the trial against Weeden.
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In September 2019, Weeden, Tobin and Barasneh, all members of The Base, used an encrypted messaging platform to discuss vandalizing property associated with African Americans and Jewish Americans. Weeden and his co-conspirators dubbed their plan, “Operation Kristallnacht,” which in German means “Night of Broken Glass.”
This term referenced events that took place on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, in which Nazis murdered Jews and burned and destroyed their homes, synagogues, schools and places of business.
Weeden carried out this plan on Sept. 21, 2019, when he spray-painted swastikas and symbols associated with The Base on the outside walls of Temple Jacob.
“This defendant shamelessly desecrated Temple Jacob when he emblazoned swastikas — a symbol of extermination — on their Temple walls,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Such conduct is unacceptable and criminal under any circumstances but doing so in furtherance of a self-described ‘Operation Kristallnacht’ conspiracy is beyond disgraceful. Antisemitism has no place in our society, and the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute white supremacists who seek to threaten and intimidate others from exercising their federally and constitutionally protected rights.”
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“Today’s swift conviction sends a strong message that hate will not be tolerated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. “No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion or any other status. When hateful words become hateful acts, my office will use every tool we have to protect the public and secure justice.”
“Hate and intimidation have no place in Michigan or our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Office. “The behavior in this conviction is most certainly disturbing, ignorant and intolerable. ATF is laser-focused on ensuring public safety by holding people accountable for their hate-inspired deplorable actions. Houses of worship need to remain safe places where people can go for spiritual redemption and growth. Any attack on a house of worship or a group of people is an attack on our very way of life in this great state.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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