Eugene, Oregon – Adam Edward Braun, a 34-year-old resident of Eugene, has been charged with a federal hate crime for intentionally defacing Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, over a five-month period.
According to court documents, Braun is alleged to have targeted the synagogue on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024. The defacement included graffiti containing antisemitic symbols and phrases.
The incident escalated on January 14, 2024, when Braun attempted to swing a hammer at the synagogue’s glass doors. However, he halted his actions upon realizing he was being recorded by a surveillance camera. Subsequently, Braun resorted to spray-painting “White Power” on the building’s exterior.
Following an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department, officers executed a search warrant at Braun’s residence on January 31, 2024. Numerous pieces of evidence linking Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel were recovered. Additionally, investigators found items and writings consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.
Braun was arrested by the FBI without incident and appeared in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He has been ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Source: USDOJ
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