Sprayed swastikas on Jewish graves – and was exposed because of a tattoo

George Horne admitted to vandalizing 12 tombstones at a Jewish cemetery in Maryland, spraying swastikas. The plea deal reveals anti-Semitic correspondence, a video documenting the act, and Nazi items in his possession. He was identified through a unique tattoo on his hand. The maximum sentence: 3 years in prison.

George Horne, 36, from Dundalk, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty in federal court to vandalizing 12 tombstones at the 'Ohr Knesset Israel Anshei Sephard' Jewish cemetery in Dundalk, on which he sprayed swastikas and anti-Semitic symbols. The plea agreement, obtained by Walla, reveals that Horne recorded himself in a nine-second video during the act, and investigators identified him through a unique tattoo on the back of his hand visible in the video. Searches of his car, phones, and a storage unit uncovered Nazi items, a copy of 'Mein Kampf', white supremacist images, and a sticker with the number 1488. Horne admitted he chose the cemetery because it was Jewish. The maximum penalty for the offense is three years in prison, with sentencing set for mid-January. The article notes that the cemetery also suffered anti-Semitic vandalism in 2021.