(MERRICK, N.Y.) – On Thursday, Jan. 16, an East Meadow man pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, an E felony, related in part to the defendant’s spray-painting of antisemitic graffiti on Merrick Avenue homes last spring. Following the guilty plea, Nassau County Legislator Seth I. Koslow (D – Merrick), ranking member of the Legislature’s Public Safety committee, issued the following statement:
“Enforcement and education are both essential components of any comprehensive strategy for exposing antisemitism in all of its ugly forms and holding its purveyors accountable,” Nassau County Legislator Seth I. Koslow (D – Merrick) said. “As the ranking member of the Legislature’s Public Safety committee and a representative of Merrick – a community that was directly impacted by these incidents – I am hopeful that this outcome will deter future bias crimes and send a clear message that Nassau County will never waver in its commitment to eradicating hatred in all of its forms.”