NJ man accused of ordering vandalism of 2 synagogues using neo-Nazi network

A New Jersey man was arrested and held without bond for allegedly ordering the vandalism of two synagogues in other states.

Richard Tobin, 18, is accused of using a neo-Nazi social network called The Base to recruit the perpetrators for the September graffiti attacks on synagogues in Michigan and Wisconsin, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Tobin also allegedly said he planned the attacks as part of nationwide campaign he called “Operation Kristallnacht,” a reference to the Nov. 9-10, 1938, pogrom against Jewish homes, synagogues and businesses in Germany and Austria.

Tobin also confessed to driving to a New Jersey mall with a machete that he planned to use to kill black shoppers.

A complaint filed on Tuesday by the FBI charges Tobin with conspiring with a hate group against the rights of minorities, including Jews, NJ.com reported.

The group, which calls itself a “white protection league,” advocates for a country populated only by white people. Its members practice “doomsday prepping,” or preparing for the end of the world, and participate in military training. The group’s symbol, according to the FBI, references a failed 1923 coup in Munich led by Adolf Hitler.

The court filings have not named the people who attacked the two synagogues.

Tobin appeared in federal court in Camden, New Jersey, on Friday. US Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams ordered him held pending a mental health evaluation, and scheduled a detention hearing scheduled for next month. (JTA)