MARQUETTE, Mich. — A Northern Michigan man was sentenced for hate crimes against Black and Jewish people.
Nathan Weeden, 23, was indicted last year for vandalizing Temple Jacob in September 2019 with swastikas and symbols connected to “The Base,” a known white supremacist group, court documents explained.
Weeden was charged with one count of damage to religious property and one count of conspiracy against rights. He was convicted in January, federal attorneys say.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office – Western District of Michigan (DOJ) announced Tuesday Weeden will spend 26 months in prison.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that hate will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. 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.”
Weeden’s co-conspirators, Richard Tobin from New Jersey and Yousef Barasneh from Wisconsin, were also convicted, according to the DOJ.
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