Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Jewish Cemetery

A Maryland man pled guilty to religious vandalism charges, in federal court, today, stemming from an incident in which he defaced several headstones, at a Baltimore County Jewish cemetery, with antisemitic symbols.

George Horn, 36, of Dundalk, pled guilty to damaging religious property after he painted swastikas and other symbols on multiple headstones at the Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard Cemetery. Horn admitted that he targeted the cemetery because it is a Jewish cemetery.

Horn entered the cemetery and used black spray paint to deface multiple gravestones, primarily with swastikas. Days later, cemetery caretakers discovered 12 gravestones spraypainted with swastikas and other symbols. Despite the caretakers’ efforts, black spray paint residue in the outline of a swastika remained on some of the gravestones necessitating replacements.

Read more: U.S. DOJ