JUNE 20 • 2024 | 29
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athan Weeden, 
24, was sentenced 
to 26 months in 
prison and three subsequent 
months of supervised release 
on June 4 for conspiring to 
discriminate against Jews 
and Black people and for 
vandalizing a synagogue.
The Houghton, Michigan, 
man, who is a member 
of the white supremacist 
gang The Base, did 
more than just destroy 
property, stated Larissa 
Knapp, executive assistant 
director of the FBI’s National 
Security Branch. 
“The FBI will not 
accept hate-driven threats 
of violence intended 
to emotionally and/or 
physically harm victims and 
will rigorously investigate 
anyone conspiring to 
vandalize houses of worship 
and intimidate others from 
safely practicing their 

religion,” she said.
Weeden defaced 
Temple Jacob, a Reform 
congregation in Hancock, 
Michigan, with swastikas 
and other hateful symbols 
on Sept. 21, 2019, in 
what he and fellow white 
supremacists called 
“Operation Kristallnacht,” 
according to the Justice 
Department. The 24-year-
old was convicted in January.
Kristallnacht means “night 
of broken glass” and refers to 
the murder of Jews and the 
destruction of their property 
by Nazis on Nov. 9 and 10, 
1938.
“This sentence sends 
a strong message that 
threatening and intimidating 
people because of their 
religion, race or ethnic 
characteristics will not be 
tolerated in this country,” 
said Kristen Clarke, assistant 
attorney general in the 

Justice Department’s civil 
rights office.
“White supremacist-fueled 
violence is a stain on our 
history and perpetrators of 
such violence will be held 
accountable. No one should 
live in fear because of who 
they are, what they believe 
or where they worship,” 
Clarke added. 
“The Justice Department 
will continue to investigate 
and prosecute those who 
desecrate houses of worship 
and who conspire to 
intimidate people seeking 
to exercise the legal rights 
guaranteed to all Americans.”
“When hateful words 
become hateful acts, my 
office will use every tool we 
have to protect the public 
and secure justice like we 
did in this case,” said Mark 
Totten, U.S. attorney for 
the Western District of 
Michigan. 

Michigan man gets 26 months for anti-Jewish, racist vandalism.
Temple Jacob Vandal Sentenced

“WHITE 
SUPREMACIST-
FUELED 
VIOLENCE IS A 
STAIN ON OUR 
HISTORY AND 
PERPETRATORS 
OF SUCH 
VIOLENCE 
WILL BE HELD 
ACCOUNTABLE.” 

— ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY 
GENERAL KRISTEN CLARKE

JNS

Temple Jacob in Hancock, Michigan, was defaced Sept. 21, 2019.

