New Jersey

A man in New Jersey allegedly went to a synagogue in the middle of the night and maliciously attempted to damage and destroy it using a firebomb.

Surveillance footage shows the defendant walking up to the Temple Ner Tamid Jewish Congregation in Bloomfield, New Jersey and igniting a wick on the top of a bottle. He then threw the bottle at the front glass doors of the temple and fled on foot.

The defendant has been charged with one count of attempted use of fire to damage and destroy a building used in interstate commerce. He faces a up to 20 years in prison.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/passaic-county-man-arrested-attempt-firebomb-synagogue

A New Jersey man was sentenced for using an anonymizing text message service to threaten physical harm to a Black woman and her family in Maryland.

According to the plea, on April 14, 2020, the man began sending threatening messages, including racial epithets, to describe the Maryland woman and her family. He threatened to come to their home and harm them. The defendant wrote, among other things, that “I know where you live now, I’m coming to rape your family” and “eat my bullets.”

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/new-jersey-man-sentenced-sending-threatening-communications-black-maryland-woman-and-her

The Department of Justice charged a New Jersey man with federal hate crimes for a series of violent assaults. The victims were all members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey.

According to the complaint, on April 8, the defendant attacked the first victim and stole his car. The victim was an Orthodox Jew. On three separate occasions that day, the defendant tried to drive a car into Orthodox Jewish pedestrians. On the first attempt, he struck a man causing serious injuries. On the second attempt, the defendant struck the victim, then exited his car and stabbed the victim in the chest with a knife. The third attack also struck an Orthodox Jewish victim, causing serious injuries.

Charges contained in a criminal complaint are serious. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/ocean-county-man-charged-federal-hate-crimes-series-violent-assaults-members-orthodox

Criminal Complaint: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/press-release/file/1495646/download

A federal court sentenced a New Jersey man to one year and one day in prison for conspiring with members of a white supremacist hate group.

After joining the white supremacist group, “The Base," he began encouraging members to vandalize properties connected with African Americans and Jewish Americans.

The group called their plan “Kristallnacht,” or “Night of Broken Glass.” Kristallnacht was a notorious 1938 attack in which Nazis murdered Jewish people and destroyed their homes, synagogues, stores, and schools.

On September 21, 2019, members of “The Base” vandalized synagogues in Racine, Wisconsin, and Hancock, Michigan, spray painting them with hate symbols.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-jersey-man-sentenced-one-year-and-one-day-prison-conspiring-white-supremacists-vandalize

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-jersey-man-admits-conspiring-white-supremacists-vandalize-synagogues-across-country

A New Jersey man pled guilty for his role in conspiring with members of a white supremacist group to intimidate and threaten African-Americans and Jewish Americans.

Inspired by a 1938 attack in which Nazis murdered Jewish people and destroyed Jewish homes, synagogues, stores, and schools, the defendant implored members of the group to post propaganda flyers, break windows, and slash tires belonging to African-Americans and Jewish Americans.

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the vandalization, whichever is greater.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-jersey-man-admits-conspiring-white-supremacists-vandalize-synagogues-across-country