A Eugene, Oregon, man pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to three hate crimes after he defaced a synagogue in his hometown on multiple occasions, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ said in a press release the 34-year-old Adam Edward Braun pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally defacing a synagogue and a single count of attempting to intentionally damage a synagogue simply because it was a place for Jewish people to worship.
Braun, according to court documents and statements made in court, intentionally targeted Temple Beth Israel in Eugene twice with antisemitic graffiti.
In one incident, the DOJ said, Braun targeted the synagogue between Sept. 10 and 11, and spray-painted the numbers "1377" on the outside of the building.
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He admitted to selecting the numbers because it was similar to "1488," a white-supremacist slogan referencing Adolf Hitler and the "Fourteen Words."
Then in January, Braun used a ball-peen hammer to attempt to damage the synagogue’s glass doors. But after noticing he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, Braun stopped and relocated to another area on the property where he spray-painted "WHITE POWER" in large letters, the DOJ said.
With help from the FBI, the Eugene Police Department executed a state search warrant at Bruan’s residence on Jan. 31, 2024.
During the search, investigators located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the crimes at Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also located several items that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and practices.
Braun was ultimately arrested by the FBI on March 7.
While he pleaded guilty on Tuesday, he has yet to be sentenced.
Braun now faces up to a year in prison for each of the three charges, as well as fines and restitution.
