PORTLAND, Ore. — A Eugene man has been charged with a federal hate crime for defacing a synagogue several times over a five-month period in Eugene.
According to court documents, Adam Edward Braun, 34, intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024. On one occasion, he used spray paint to write "White Power" in large letters on the building's exterior.
A surveillance camera also caught Braun attempting to break the glass doors of the synagogue with a hammer. However, when Braun caught sight of the security camera, he moved to a different area of the property and spray-painted anti-Semitic symbols and phrases.
On Jan. 31, Braun was arrested by the FBI and Eugene Police Department and will remain in custody, pending any further court proceedings.
During a search of Braun's home with a search warrant, officers found several items and writings with anti-Semitic beliefs and bias, including a book titled "Jewish Eugenics." They also found ropes with KKK inscriptions on them and Neo-Nazi paraphernalia.
In an police interview, Braun expressed "concern, discontent, and general disapproval of the Jewish community on multiple occasions," according to the affidavit.
Braun has also been charged with federal complaint for defacing religious property because of racial or ethnic characteristics of people associated with the property.
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