Brooklawn man admits coordinating neo-Nazi plot to deface Midwestern synagogues

A Camden County man has admitted coordinating a neo-Nazi group’s plot to vandalize two Midwestern synagogues and cause other damage across the country.
Federal prosecutors in New Jersey said Richard Tobin, 19, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy against rights.
The Brooklawn man admitted that he was a member of the neo-Nazi group The Base, and said that he communicated online with other members of the group in September 2019, directing them to vandalize synagogues in Michigan and Wisconsin.
At the time, Tobin told investigators that he had launched “Operation Kristallnacht,” a reference to the deadly pogrom in 1938 when Nazis looted and burned synagogues and Jewish-owned homes and stores in Germany.
“Americans should never have to fear racist, anti-Semitic or any other form of bias-motivated violence,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said in statement. “This defendant encouraged hateful acts of violence against individuals and their houses of worship, based solely on their religion or the color of their skin.
Tobin faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 28.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.