Man pleads guilty to setting fire outside Jewish Museum of Maryland: ‘I was out of my mind’

A man entered mental health court on Wednesday after admitting to setting a fire outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland in what Baltimore Police previously described as a hate crime.

Assadollah Hashemi, 66, of Reservoir Hill, pleaded guilty in Baltimore Circuit Court to setting a fire and damaging a religious building. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but will only serve the time he’s already spent in custody.

After his release, Hashemi will be on supervised probation for five years. He must follow a mental health treatment plan and report to the court and a probation agent.

Hashemi said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He said he was also abusing drugs.

Read more: Baltimore Banner