Trial set in Temple Jacob vandalism case

Houghton man could face 10 years in prison for conspiracy

By GARRETT NEESE

gneese@mininggazette.com

MARQUETTE -- A federal trial date has been set for the Houghton man who allegedly spraypainted anti-Semitic graffiti on Temple Jacob in Hancock in 2019.

The trial for Nathan Weeden is scheduled to start on Oct. 2 in U.S. District Court in Marquette, according to records posted online following a pretrial and scheduling conference Monday.

The trial date was delayed at the request of Weeden's attorney Beth LaCosse, who said Jonker's next trial docket date of Aug. 21 would not give her enough time to review evidence.

Weeden agreed, and the government did not object.

"The Court finds ... that the ends of justice served by the adjournment outweigh the best interests of the public and defendant in a speedy trial," Judge Robert Jonker said in the order.

The period between April 7 and Oct. 2 will be excluded from the calculations for speedy trial requirements.

Next up is a status conference on Aug. 17. The final pretrial is scheduled for Sept. 25, and is slated to include discussions about the status of plea negotiations, estimated time for trial, the number of witnesses and potential legal issues that may come up during trial, among other things.

Weeden faces two counts: conspiracy against rights, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and damage to religious property, punishable by imprisonment of up to one year.

According to his indictment, Weeden conspired with other members of The Base, a multi-state white supremacist organization. Through an encrypted messaging application, they discussed a plan to vandalize non-white and Jewish-owned businesses, which they dubbed "Operation Kristallnacht."

Weeden and others were directed to commit vandalism between Sept. 20 and 25, with example targets including Jewish-owned businesses and cars belonging to Black people.

Weeden spraypainted swastikas and other symbols on Temple Jacob on Sept. 21, 2019, the indictment said. Afterward, he sent a message over the encrypted chat: "I did! Went good! Got articles written!!"

Multiple people have already been charged or sentenced in connection with the plot.

Richard Tobin, a New Jersey resident who sent the message directing the attacks, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in 2021.

Wisconsin resident Yousef Barasneh pleaded guilty in July 2020 to defacing a synagogue in Racine, Wisconsin. His sentencing hearing, originally scheduled for November 2020, has been delayed twice. Barasneh is out on bond.

In May, the court ordered a joint status report to be filed by Aug. 11 indicating whether both sides wanted a new date set for a sentencing hearing or if they needed more time.