NDIANAPOLIS -- A Morgan County man was sentenced in federal court in Indianapolis yesterday evening to three years in prison for conspiring to violate the civil rights of Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, a Jewish synagogue in Carmel, Indiana.
United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today that Nolan Brewer, 21, of Eminence, was sentenced after he had pleaded guilty to the federal hate crime before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. The judge also imposed a $1,000 fine and ordered Brewer to repay the synagogue $700 for the physical damage it sustained. The lengthy testimony and evidence presented in court related to Brewer’s beliefs in Nazism. According to the press release, he acted on those beliefs to plan and carry out the July 28, 2018 attack on the Carmel synagogue. Minkler said the case is a reminder of the religious freedoms of which the nation was founded. “Sadly, over the past couple of years, our country has seen an increase in hate crimes targeting houses of worship, particularly against those of the Jewish faith. This case was one of them. The sentence handed down yesterday sends a clear message that society cannot, and will not, tolerate those who terrorize others for their religious beliefs,” Minkler said. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Carmel Police Department. The FBI arrested Brewer just over two weeks after the attack, when supplies for the attack were found still inside the trunk of his car. Brewer and his wife, a minor, ultimately spray painted Nazi symbols before burning the ground with the homemade napalm. After the synagogue attack, Brewer was said to have bragged to co-workers and a friend about the attack. The two reportedly went to a local Walmart to purchase supplies before the incident. "Video surveillance showed them buying red and black spray paint, Gatorade bottles, aluminum foil, Drano cleaner, rubber gloves, Styrofoam plates and bandanas." according to the press release. They planned to create and detonate “Drano bombs” With the Gatorade bottles, aluminum foil and Drano. The duo also reportedly filled a can of gasoline in preparation for the attack. "They combined it with the Styrofoam plates to concoct what Brewer referred to as homemade “napalm.” The Styrofoam melted in the gasoline to create a viscous, flammable mixture." Comments are closed.
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Lucy Perry
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