Eugene Man Pleads Guilty to Three Federal Hate Crimes for Defacing Synagogue

EUGENE, Ore.-A Eugene man pleaded guilty to three federal hate crimes today for intentionally defacing a Eugene synagogue on multiple occasions.

Adam Edward Braun, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally defacing a synagogue and one count of attempting to deface religious property because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.

According to court documents, between September 2023 and January 2024, Braun intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Braun's pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of January 14, 2024, when he traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, and then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write "White Power" in large letters on the building's exterior.

On January 31, 2024, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun's Eugene residence. Investigators located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel, along with several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.

Braun was initially charged by criminal complaint on March 4, 2024. Later, on May 9, 2024, Braun was charged by criminal information with five counts of defacing and attempting to deface religious property because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.

Braun faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for each count. He will be sentenced on February 18, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.

As part of the plea agreement, Braun has agreed to pay restitution in full to the victim.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.